Too Late
by blame it on the government
Summary: “Hello, I’m Karen Patterson from Social Services. We have your daughter, Katie House, in foster care. Please call me back at 867-5309,” said a cheery voice, female voice. This was some mistake. Gregory House had no children. Or did he...
1. Prologue

Prologue:

For Katie, it was the most beautiful day that New York City could produce. The sky shone with a rare brilliance, illuminating every dark alleyway, spreading its summer cheer wherever it went. As she walked to school, she thought that the city's people were kinder to one another than they usually were. But what made this day truly beautiful was the knowledge that it was the last of school before summer vacation. Katie was excited.

On her short walk to school, Katie pondered all the things she would be able to do over the break. She would get to go swimming, hang out at Central Park with her friends, and take the subway to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But what she was truly excited about was the vacation her mother was planning. Katie's mother, Katie, and her stepfather, Bryan, would all travel to Europe together for a two week adventure that none of them would ever forget. Katie shivered in excitement as all her thoughts traveled through her mind.

"The last day of eight grade," Katie muttered to herself as her school came into view. Today, the middle school would be devoted to signing yearbooks, saying goodbyes to the ones that would be moving, or going to different high schools, and just having fun. All the finals had been completed on the previous days, so there was nothing to do except to just hang out and relax.

At 10:30, Katie had signed exactly ninety-eight years books and counting. She was just about to sign her best friend, Jessica's, yearbook when her math teacher, Mr. Harrison, called her up.

"I just received a note from the office that said you're wanted down there," Mr. Harrison said, handing her the note. It was a piece of standard office stationary with an almost ineligible note scribbled on it. Katie could just barely make out the words that said "Please send Katie down to the office".

"Do you know why I'm going down to the office?" Katie asked with a dry throat. She knew that she wasn't in trouble, but there was still a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"I would tell you if I knew," Mr. Harrison said with a shrug. "I don't think you're in trouble, but I can't say for sure."

Katie nodded in agreement, picking up her backpack, and heading for the door. She tried not to speculate as she walked down the seemingly endless hallway to the office, but it was hard. Was the office going to tell her that she would have to repeat the eighth grade because she had been absent a lot on a count of all her recurrent cases of the flu and strepp throat? Were they going to tell her that she would have to repeat Algebra 1 because her math grade hadn't been high enough? She tried to calm herself down as each possibility entered her mind, but it was hard. By the time she had actually reached the office, she was hyperventilating. Bracing herself, Katie turned the handle of the door that lead into the office.

"Bryan?" Katie asked as she spotted her stepfather sitting awkwardly in one of the office chairs. "What are you doing here?"

Bryan looked out of place in the modest school office. He was a large, tall man clad in a suit and tie, and a look of desperation.

"Katie, what took you so long?" Bryan asked, standing up. "I've been waiting here for a least four minutes."

"Wow, nice to see you too, Bryan. And a whole four minutes... wow... that's totally a long time," Katie retorted smartly with a hint of a smile.

"Katie," Bryan sighed, raising his voice only slightly. "We don't have time for your sarcasm today. Your mom's been in an accident."

Katie felt her heart stop. An accident? What could that mean?

"What happened? Is mom all right?" Katie asked with concern.

"She was walking to work this morning," Bryan started. "And when she was crossing the street, a car hit her."

"Is-," Katie started, but Bryan cut her off.

"We have to go now. There's a cab waiting for us outside." Bryan placed a hand on Katie's shoulder, directing her out of the school building. "I'll tell you everything on the way there."

"Where are we going?" Katie sat in the back seat of the taxi, next to Bryan. "Where?"

"To the hospital, of course," Bryan stated.

Katie wasn't sure she liked the word 'hospital', or what it implied. Her mom couldn't be sick enough to go to a hospital. Sure, she'd been hit by a car, but she had only a few scratches, maybe a bruise. At the complete worst, a broken bone. Katie would not believe that her mom suffered any more injuries than that.

Between her fear and speculations, Katie didn't realized that they had arrived at the hospital until Bryan nudged her, signaling for her to get out of the cab.

The huge hulking lawyer that was Bryan and the small, thirteen-year-old girl that was Katie made up a strange couple as they made their way to the nurse's station.

"Hello," Bryan asked a young, pretty nurse in a pleasant tone. "My wife is Jenny Reynolds. Can you please tell me how she's doing?"

The nurse shook her head in a sad, slow way. "I'm sorry," she said. "But she's still in surgery. I'll tell the doctor that you asked, and as soon as she's out of surgery, you'll be informed of her condition."

"Thank you," Bryan turning away, choosing a seat in the waiting room. Katie followed suit, terrified at hearing the word 'surgery'. Her mom definitely wasn't sick enough to need surgery. They must have made a mistake. Standing up, Katie made her way back to the nurse's station.

"Excuse me?" Katie asked the same nurse. "Can you tell me where I can find Jenny Reynolds?"

"I just told your father that she's in surgery. We'll let you know how's she's doing as soon as she gets out," The nurse replied in superior tone.

"He's not my dad," Katie angrily replied. "And it's Jenny _Margaret _Reynolds." She added the middle name, as is if it would make a difference.

"Yes, I know." The nurse was growing annoyed and was losing her patience. "Really, as soon as any of us know anything, we'll be sure to tell you."

"Reynolds," Katie stated. "R-E-Y-N-O-L-D-S. Jenny. J-E-N-N-Y. Margaret. M-A-R-G-A-R-E-T."

"Yes, I know how to spell her name. It's right on her file, which, I might add is right in front of me. Now, if you will please wait, like everybody else with a loved one in surgery, we'll tell you as soon as we know anything."

Defeated, Katie returned to her seat. With no other option, Katie was forced to wait.

Her wristwatch said that it was only forty-five minutes between the time she walked through the hospital doors and the time when the doctor came out to talk to her and Bryan, but if felt like many hours, or even days.

"Mr. Reynolds?" The doctor asked, looking around the waiting room. Both Katie and Bryan got up to face the doctor.

"Please, sit down," the doctor said. "I have some bad news."

"Is Jenny... is she all right?" Bryan asked with a choked sob.

"I'm afraid not. She had massive internal bleeding in the abdomen, and a hemorrhage in her brain. I'm sorry. We couldn't save her." The doctor looked with sad eyes at Katie, knowing that he had just killed a young girl's mother.

"So, she's... dead?" Bryan cried at the doctor.

"Yes," the doctor said, standing up and walking away.

Katie was numb. She couldn't believe the doctor's news. Her mother wasn't dead. She was asleep, or away on a vacation. She would be back. Katie knew, just knew.

"I guess I should send you back home," Bryan said through a sob, turning to Katie.

"Shouldn't I go back to school?" Katie asked, amazed that Bryan hadn't suggested it himself.

"No, I really think you should go home this time," Bryan said, shaking his head. "Come on, we'll get you a cab back home."

Once again, Katie was seated in a cab, but this time she was alone. Bryan had to get back to work for he had an important new client he had to meet with, which meant Katie was going to be by herself for the remainder of the afternoon.

Before she knew it, Katie was back in her apartment, sitting on the couch with the TV on. It was a nice apartment for New York City, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, just large enough for a family of three. _I guess it's two now_ Katie thought to herself as she fought back a bitter tear. She hadn't cried at the hospital, but she could only hold it in for so long. Throwing her head back, Katie let out a howl of anguish, letting the tears flow freely down her face.

'

The next few days passed in a blur for Katie. Mostly it was neighbors coming by with food parcels, telling her how sorry they were for her loss. Katie would always thank them, throwing the food in the refrigerator for Bryan to eat later. Katie had given up on eating; every time she saw food, her stomach got queasy, and sometimes she would throw up.

The day of the funeral brought dread upon Katie. She didn't want to see her mother's dead body, to let the terrible essence of the truth sink into her flesh. As she dressed in the horrible new, black dress that her Aunt Caroline had bought for her, Katie began to cry. She didn't want this to be her. She wanted to be anyone else but herself at that moment.

"Katie?" Katie heard a soft voice call through her bedroom door. It was Aunt Caroline. "It's time to go now. Are you all right?"

Katie heard the door open, a figure standing beside her. Hastily, the young girl wiped her eyes on her sleeves.

"Oh, Katie, it's okay to cry," Caroline said, pulling Katie into a hug.

"I wasn't crying," Katie retorted in a flat voice, pulling away from her Aunt. "It's time to go, Aunt Caroline."

Caroline felt tears welling in her eyes as she followed Katie out of the door, and to the car that was waiting for them outside the apartment building.

After the funeral, all the guests came back to the apartment for refreshments. While all the adults stood around in a circle telling stories about the late Jenny Reynolds, Katie stayed in her room, refusing to come out. The funeral was worse than she thought it would be. Her mother's dead body was beautifully decorated, and she looked so... peaceful. She had never looked that way when she was alive. She always had some worried or nervous look on her face. Sinking down into her bed, Katie realized that her mother really was dead, after all. No more mom.

As the afternoon progressed, more and more people started drifting away. By 5:00 PM, only a few people remained: Katie's Grandmother, Aunt Caroline, and Uncle Rob. Katie pretended not to listen as Bryan called a discussion in the living room.

"Thanks for coming, guys," Bryan started out saying. "I don't think Katie or I could get through this without you."

"Of course," Aunt Caroline said, her voice filled with sympathy. "We wouldn't desert you in a time like this."

"Anyway," Bryan said. "As you know, I'm a very busy man."

"Yes, we all know that," said Grandma.

"Then you all know that I might have a little bit of... trouble raising Katie."

"We'll be there for you," Uncle Rob said speaking up for the first time. "She can visit me on weekends, sometimes, and I'm sure mom and Caroline would be glad to do the same thing."

"Sure we would," said Grandma, smiling. "But it would be hard, with Frank in his... condition..."

Katie winced as she heard her grandma admit this. Usually no one talked about grandpa's colon cancer.

"Well, actually..." Bryan drifted off. "Well, I... I can no longer take care of Katie."

"What?" The whole room chorused in unison.

"What do you mean?" Caroline demanded. "You can't just desert her like this. The girl just lost her mother."

"I'm no longer her stepfather. I don't have to take care of her," Bryan replied in defiance.

"Seven years!" Bellowed Rob. "For seven years you've been that girl's only father, and now you're just...abandoning her?"

"Katie needs somewhere to live." Bryan continued as if he hadn't even heard Rob. "If none of you can take her, then I'm going to—."

"Going to what?" Grandma cut him off. "Give her to her real father?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"Good luck," snorted Rob. "Jenny hasn't talked to that fool in nearly fourteen years. I doubt he even knows if Katie exists."

"Social services, then. They'll find him."

"You're really going to do this," Whispered Caroline. "Jenny always thought so much of you, always said you were a good father, but this would put her to shame. You disgrace my sister."

'Thank you for coming," Bryan snarled, standing up. "Let me show you the door."

From her bedroom, Katie heard everything that was said. In her chest, her heart beat with perpetual fear. She lost her mother. Now, she was losing her home.

**Thank you, everybody for reading. I know this doesn't seem very House oriented, but it's coming. You can probably even guess where the story is going. Reviews are appreciated as well as predictions for the upcoming chapters.**

**Again, thank you for reading,**

**Blame It On the Government**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

It had been a long, tough day for Gregory House. In that day alone, he had diagnosed a young mother of two with cancerous brain tumors, treated twelve patients from the clinic, and managed to annoy the hell out of his boss. All in all, it had been a quite prosperous day. Now he was looking forward to kicking off his shoes, popping a couple of Vicodins, and watching the wrestling match on the TV. Then, just as he was settling into the couch, he looked over at his phone. The red button was flashing. He had a message.

House was confused as he went to press the button. There were exactly five people who ever bothered to call him: Cuddy, Wilson, Foreman, Chase, and Cameron. And the only reason they called was to tell him to come into work. Since that was where he had been all day, House was greatly perplexed as to who would bother to call him.

"_Hello, I'm Karen Patterson from Social Services. We have your daughter, Katie House, in foster care. Please call me back at 867-5309_," said a cheery voice, female voice.

Sitting back on the couch, House was even more puzzled than he had been only a few moments earlier. He had no daughter. In fact, he had no children at all. He had no idea what woman would lie about the father of her child. In his mind, he went through all the women he had ever had sex with. There was Stacey, and Diana... and Jenny. His eyes widened at the thought of the last one.

"Greg, we need to meet," House remembered her voice, clear and cool through the telephone all of those years ago.

"How about tomorrow night?" House had suggested, but Jenny wouldn't have it.

"No, it needs to be tonight... I have something kind of important to tell you."

"All right." House had smiled warmly at the thought of seeing his girlfriend soon. "Pick you up at seven?"

"Sounds great."

House remembered the restaurant they went to. It was a nice, quiet place, perfect for a private conversation. After Jenny had subtly refused wine, she took House's hands in hers, staring into his crystal blue eyes.

"I got a new job in Boston," she said softly, holding her gaze. "I start Monday." It was Friday night.

House was startled at the news; they had only been dating for a couple months. Would their relationship end so soon?

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" House demanded, but didn't raise his voice.

"I wasn't sure I would get the job," she admitted sheepishly. "I didn't want to upset you for no reason."

House nodded thoughtfully for a few moments processing what he has just heard. She was so beautiful, so perfect. He had thought often that this one might be the one, but now he wasn't so sure.

"Why can't you keep your old job?" House joked in a whining manner.

"Oh, Greg, you know that this is a promotion for me. I can't get anywhere in life if I'm just a small claims court lawyer. You know that. I'm going to be an attorney, defending people for real crimes that they commit. You know that's my dream."

"I guess," House replied in a small whisper, smiling up at his girlfriend.

After dinner, the couple went back to House's place to 'have a few drinks'. Again, Jenny refused to drink, more obvious this time than it had been the last. House just shrugged it off, leaning in for a kiss.

"Greg, no," Jenny said as his lips brushed hers. "I can't..."

"Why? Is there someone else?"

"No, no one else. I'm just going to be moving to Boston. I think we should just take some time off from each other, date some new people, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess."

House watched as Jenny got up from her spot on the couch, putting her coat on, gathering up her purse. As she walked to the door, she turned back.

"I still love you, Greg," she whispered as she opened the door.

"Love you too," House whispered back. Then something happened so quick, House thought he imagined it. Jenny walked a few paces towards him, lowering her voice.

"Greg, I'm pregnant," she said in a wisp of a voice. Then she walked through the door briskly, shutting it heavily on her way out.

Throughout the entire weekend, House tried calling Jenny, but she never answered. On Saturday, he called her no less than thirty times, at least forty on Sunday. Never once did she answer. On Monday, when House went to call her, he was informed that Jenny's phone had been disconnected. Jenny Parker was gone forever.

House thought that he imagined that Jenny had said "I'm pregnant" but perhaps he hadn't. Maybe Katie House was Jenny's daughter, was his daughter.

While all these thoughts flew around House's head, one rung out crystal clear: he did not want a daughter. He was assured that the kid wasn't his, and if he ignored the social worker, then she would leave him alone.

The next day at work, House tried concentrating on his work, but he couldn't. In the back of his mind, the message he had received the day earlier kept replaying in his mind. What if this kid was his after all? Should he call? Should he ignore it? It didn't take him long to figure out that he needed help.

During what was Wilson's usual lunch hour, House walked into the cafeteria, scanning the tables for a sign of his friend. Finally, House spotted him, sitting in a corner eating a sandwich and fries. House made his way over to Wilson's table, sitting down and helping himself to some fries.

"You know, it wouldn't hurt if you asked before you ate my food, you know?" Wilson sigh, annoyed as House picked up a handful of his fries.

"Wilson, what would you do if one of your ex-wives called and told you had a kid?" House asked with a look of curiosity planted decisively on his face. He watched with amusement as Wilson stopped a fry halfway to his face.

"Did one of the call? Which one?" Wilson dropped his food onto the table, staring at House with imploring eyes.

"Chill out... none of them call... yet. Just, what would you do?"

"I guess I'd take care of it. I mean, it's not like I'd have a choice. Why are you asking, anyway?"

"Oh, no reason," House said with a smile as he stood up and limped out of the cafeteria. "No reason at all."

So Wilson had been almost no help. House didn't actually want to take care of a kid; he just wanted to know whether it was his or not. If you could somehow lure this kid into the hospital inconspicuously, then he could do a physical assessment, and perhaps even have a shot at a paternity test. But he couldn't think of a reason to bring the kid in. He didn't even know what she looked like, how old she was, or where she lived. By the time the end of the day rolled along, House decided that the only way he would be able to assess whether the kid was his or not would be to call the social worker to request a paternity test. He was afraid that if he made contact, though, it would give everybody a false idea that he wanted to actually meet this kid.

Like the day before, when House walked into his apartment, he saw the red flashing, button on his answering machine that foretold he had a message. He pressed the button.

"_Mr. House, this is Karen Patterson. You haven't returned my phone call,_" said the same familiar female voice. "_ Perhaps you erased my message on accident. We still have your daughter, Katie House, in foster care. If you would like to see your daughter again, please return this call at 867-5309. We would like to hear from you soon." _

Was this lady under the impression that House had actually met this kid 'Katie'? Was she under the impression that he actually cared? He might not have cared about the girl's well being, but pondering whether he was the father was killing him. Picking up the phone, he dialed the said number. A pleasant, female voice answered the phone.

"Yes," said House. "My name is Gregory House. You said you had my so-called daughter in foster care?"

**Thank you so much for reading this story, even though it had a weird beginning. I love reviews.**

**Thanks Again For Reading,**

**Blame It On The Government **


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Katie hated her new home. She hated everything about it from the mushy oatmeal she was served for breakfast to the line she had to wait in every time she wanted to use to the bathroom. She was an only child and she always wondered what it would be like to have a sibling, but now that she was in a home that fostered a dozen other children besides herself, she knew exactly what it was like: pure hell.

Some of the other kids were really nice to her, especially the younger kids, but most of them were jerks, especially the older ones. One thing that everyone did, though, was complain. Some of the kids complained about the oatmeal, some about the limited number of bathrooms. Katie happened to complain, to no one in particular, about the bedroom situation. She shared a bedroom with three other girls, making it a tight squeeze with four per room. She had absolutely no privacy, and at night, when she felt like crying, she had to do so in front of several people. The only thing that kept Katie sane was what the social worker, Karen, had said when she dropped Katie off.

"This is a temporary situation," Karen had assured her. "Just until we find your father, all right?"

"All right," Katie replied. "I guess it won't be that bad if it's only temporary."

Karen smiled at her, giving her a hug. "I'll call a couple of times to make sure you're settling in all right, okay?" She whispered in her ear. "Sound good?"

"Sounds good."

Just as Katie and Karen were saying their goodbyes, a large, middle-aged woman came out to great them.

"Oh, you must be Kathy!" exclaimed the woman with gusto. "I'm Suzy."

"It's nice to meet you," Katie said shyly, extending a hand. "And it's Katie."

"What is?" Suzy asked blankly.

"Her name," said Karen stepping in. "Her name is Katie, not Kathy."

"Oh... well, there's so many of them... so many names... hard to keep track, you know?" Suzy asked with a nervous smile.

"Sure," said Karen. "Sometimes, it's hard... Katie will love it here, don't you think?"

"Oh, yes... there are so many kids her own age. She'll find best friends in no time."

'

"What are you doing, stupid?" a voice called from behind, waking Katie from her thoughts. The voice belonged to a boy of about thirteen, just about Katie's age, the same person Suzy was referring to when she said that Katie would 'find best friends in no time'. The boy, Kevin, was a complete jerk as far as Katie could see.

"I'm just sitting here," Katie replied in a soft voice. "I'm not hurting anyone."

"Yes, you are," replied a girl, Mary, who was fifteen. "You're sitting on the couch in front of the TV, the same TV that we would like to watch now."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Katie said in a shaky voice, getting up from the couch. "You could have just asked me to move. I would have done it."

"Whatever," muttered Kevin, flipping the TV on as he flopped down on the couch.

With nothing better to do, Katie returned to her bedroom. It was a modest size room, about the same size as hers was back in the apartment. It would seem perfect if it weren't for all the people that lived in there. On the floor, there were dolls, and clothes, and other random items strewed across the floor. But, right then, it was perfect because she was the only one in there.

Katie climbed up the ladder of one of the two sets of bunk beds in the room, and buried her head in her hands. She had been so depressed lately, ever since her mom had died and her stepfather kicked her out of the house. She hated everything about life; everything pleasant had been robbed from her. She wished, sometimes uncannily, that she could just lie down and die, fall asleep and never wake up.

"Katie," came voice from the doorway. It was Suzy. "Karen's on the phone. She would like to speak with you."

"All right," Katie replied, hopping down from her bed, grasping the phone. "Hello?" she asked into the receiver.

"Katie, hi, it's Karen. How are you holding up?"

"All right," Katie lied.

"That's good. Well, I got some news for you," Karen said.

"What?"

"We found your father."

Katie felt her whole body melt into a pool of relief. At last, they had found him. That meant she could leave this living hell.

"So when I can I move in with him?" Katie asked excitedly.

"Well," Karen replied nervously. "It's really not that easy."

"What do you mean? I have all my things packed up. Can you pick me up this afternoon and take me over to his house?"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. We're still a long way from you living with him," Karen sighed into the phone. "He's still getting over the shock that you're even alive."

"You mean he didn't know that I existed?" Katie said with a sob. She had always assumed that he knew, that he just didn't know how to take care of a baby. "My mom never told him?"

"I'm afraid not... but he's really opened to the idea of a daughter." To Karen, it was only a partial lie; she believed that everybody had to love his or her children, no matter what.

"If he's so open to a daughter, then why can't I live with him?" Katie demanded.

"Because..." Karen decided it might be better just to say the truth. "He wants a paternity test." There, it was out.

"What!" Katie cried, appalled at what she just heard. The only person that could help her was afraid that she wasn't his kid.

"A paternity test," Karen said slowly, "tells you who your father is."

"I know what a paternity test is," Katie snapped. "I just don't understand why he would want one."

"It's complicated," Karen began, "but you'll understand when you get older."

"I don't want to understand then. I want to understand now!"

Karen sighed, almost like she expected this. "He just wants to make sure. He'll never love unless he knows for sure."

"All right," Katie said, knowing that was the best answer she was going to get. "When do we do this test thing?"

"Actually, we're going to do it today. I'll be there in a couple of hours, okay."

"Okay."

"Bye."

"Bye."

At school, whenever there was a really major test coming up, Katie would always get really nervous. Her palms would start to sweat, while the whole room turned before her. That feeling was much the same to the one she was feeling right then. With a school test, she could always manipulate it, go deep inside her brain for the answers, but this paternity test was different. If it said that this man wasn't her father, then she knew that she would never find him. Her mom hadn't left any other possibilities for a dad. The thought of staying in the foster home for much longer made Katie want to puke. As the day progressed, Katie became even more nervous. When the doorbell rang, signaling that Karen had arrived, Katie nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Hey, Katie," Karen greeted the girl as she walked into the house. "How's it going?"

"All right," Katie replied. "How's it going for you?"

"Just fine. Come on, sit on the couch. We need to talk."

Katie shrugged, sitting down on the warn couch in the living room next to Karen.

"What do we need to talk about?" Katie asked.

"Usually," Karen began. "When we need to do a paternity test, we just get a sample of the child's DNA and the father's DNA, and do the test in our own lab. But this case is... it's a bit different."

"How?"

"Well, the man that we think is your father is a doctor. He asked if he could do the paternity test himself."

"And you said yes?"

"Yes, we did..." Karen let the sentence drift off, not wanting to think about he argument she had, trying to persuade the man to just let their lab to the test. "And your father said to meet him in the hospital that he works at in an hour."

"Really?" Katie asked, her eyes wide. "I'm going to actually meet my dad."

"Yes, you sure are," smiled Karen, looking down at the girl. "Yes, you are..."

**Thank you so much for reading my story. I love reviews. **

**Again, thank you for reading my story, **

**Blame it on the Government**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

House anxiously looked out the window of his office, looking for any sign of the social worker accompanied by his so-called daughter. So far, he had no luck.

"Come on, just get here," House muttered to himself under his breath. It had seemed like forever since he had sent his team home for the day, so that he could get through this little incident without, well, incident. "Come on... come on... COME ON!"

Then, he saw them. Instantly, he knew it was them. Perhaps it was because the social worker looked just as pretty as she sounded, or, just maybe, it was the appearance of the girl. Even from where House was sitting, he could see that she had long, wavy hair, the exact color of his. And the eyes... they were the same ice cold blue. It would be a terrible coincidence if both of them had the same eye and hair color without being related.

"Doesn't mean a thing," House assured himself as the two made their way towards his office. House beckoned for the two to join him in his office as they approached. The social worker, Karen, opened the door and sat down in one of the two chairs House had put in front of his desk for the occasion. Katie followed her, somewhat hesitantly, and sat down.

"You must be Mr. House," Karen said, extending a hand. "Karen Patterson. It's a pleasure to meet you in person."

"First of all," House said with a sneer. "It's Dr. House, and second of all, it's not a pleasure to meet you. Can we get this over with?"

"Of course," replied Karen, slightly startled. "Wouldn't you like to meet your daughter first before we do anything, though?"

"Um," Said House. "Not my daughter yet. Not until this test says the she is... or isn't."

"Well, anyway, this is your potential daughter, Katie."

House averted his eyes from Karen to Katie. Up close, House could see more similarities. She had thin lips, like he did, a flat, broad chin with a long face. Again, it would be another terrible coincidence if they shared those characteristics without being related. House didn't need a paternity test to know that Katie was his.

"Hi, Katie. Your mom slept with me a long time ago, and is now trying to guilt me into taking you," House said sarcastically, demonic eyes sizing the girl up.

"My mother's dead," Katie replied automatically.

"Exactly... what better guilt trip is there than being dead?"

Karen was startled by this comment, but Katie almost, somehow, expected it. She didn't know why, but it sounded like something she would say...

"Anyway," House changed the subject, taking out two cotton swabs. "Time to do the test."

Katie reached out and took a cotton swab from the strange man, holding it in her hand in a confused way.

"Do what I do," House said in a condescending manner. He took the swab and started scrapping the inside of his cheeks with it. "Now your turn."

Katie followed suit, and then handed the swab back to House.

"It's going to be a couple days until I'll be able to get the results back to you," House said in conclusion to the meeting.

"Actually, Dr. House, I'm going to have to ask you if we can get a sample of your DNA for our lab," Karen said, liking her control. "Sorry, it's our policy."

House pondered if for a moment. The only reason he wanted to do the test was to make sure it wasn't somehow botched. He didn't want some test done by a moron say that he had a kid when, in actuality, he didn't. This way, he would know for sure. If social services wanted to do the test as well, then he had no problem about it.

"Sure," House sighed in defeat, taking out another cotton swab. He swabbed his mouth and handed it to Karen. "You two can leave now."

Katie got up, following Karen out the door. She knew that Gregory House was her father. There was no doubt in her mind.

As soon as Katie was gone, House breathed a sigh as he got up to run the test. This was it; this was what his life came down to. For a second, House wondered what he would do if they tests came back positive. Would he be expected to let the girl live with him? In the meantime, he was assigned clinic duty. It was time to play avoid-Cuddy.

In the lab, House studied the two DNA's, trying to decided if they matched. By nightfall, House had his answer to his question. Now, all he had to do was pondered.

'

Katie was feeling quite depressed when she returned to her foster home. She didn't know if it had anything to do with the meeting she just had with her father; it didn't matter. She walked up to her room, collapsing on her bed, crying her eyes out, not caring who was watching.

After a couple of hours of crying, Mary came up to retrieve Katie for dinner.

"Crybaby," Mary sneered, "it's time for dinner."

"I'm not hungry," Katie sobbed, trying her hardest to steady her voice.

"Too bad. You have to come down any."

Katie nodded. She had been there long enough to know the rules. Everybody had to come down for dinner, and everybody had to 'eat'. Three times a day, Katie had food in front of her, and three times a day, Katie stirred her food around her plate, pretending to eat. She hadn't been hungry since her mom died.

While Katie was stirring her food around, Gregory House was doing something quite similar. He had a sandwich and a plate of French fries sitting in front of him. He had purchased the food almost twenty minutes ago in the Hospital Cafeteria, and he hadn't even touched it. He couldn't. He was too busy thinking about what the test results revealed to be hungry. All of a sudden, his cell phone rang, awakening him from his thoughts. Checking the caller ID, he realized that it was that social worker, Karen. House thought about not answering it. But he set aside his impulse, answering it before he could stop himself.

"Dr. House," House said into the receiver.

"Hello, Dr. House. I have to the results to the paternity test back," Karen said in an overly sweet voice.

"Yes, I do too."

"Good. That means you know where you stand in this whole thing."

"Look," House said stiffly. "You might know where I fit into place, but you don't know where I stand. I want nothing to do with this, nothing at all. Please, don't call me back."

"All right," Karen sighed. "You have my number, right? Call me if you change your mind."

With that, House hung the phone up. He felt miserable. He didn't want to think about anything, especially the fact that he was Katie's father.

**Thank you for reading!**


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

House briefly pondered if he made the right choice by saying he never wanted to see his daughter, Katie House, again. Some people could argue that Katie, even though they shared DNA, was not House's child. The two had never known each other, did not love each other. Some would say House had every reason for pushing Katie out of his life. But, still, it bothered him.

Sleep didn't come easy for House; he kept thinking about the girl. She would live in foster care for the rest of her childhood. She would never know what it would be like to have a father. House remembered his own father, how dysfunctional their relationship was. During his childhood, he often thought that he would rather not have a father than the one he had. House was convinced that Katie would share the same opinion if she every got a chance to actually know her father. With that realization furrowed in his mind, House was able to fall into a restless, dream-filled sleep.

House was standing in front of an old, huge house with thousands of kids occupying the front yard. Walking around, he tried to find Katie, but he could not find her. In fact, all the kids looked exactly the same; he could not distinguish one from the other. Looking closer he could see that all the kids were about the same age, each thin with malnourishment. Across the yard, House could see a person. She was an adult, the only one in the whole yard that did not look like all the other kids. He saw her approach a kid at random, and, suddenly, the kid transformed into a healthy looking boy with large glasses. The woman and the boy disappeared together. Then, another adult approached another kid, making the kid transform into a creation if individuality. One by one, the adults would come, choosing a kid, and then leaving. But, no matter how many adults showed up, there were still thousands of identical, unhealthy kids. They seemed to by multiplying by the second. House walked up to a kid, and all of a sudden, there was a girl standing in front of him with blue eyes, and wavy, brown hair.

All of a sudden, House woke. Sitting up in bed, he recalled the dream. How odd it had been. But what could it mean? Glancing at his alarm clock he realized that it was time to get up. That was good; he couldn't go back to sleep anyway.

House felt awkward once at work, all his employees staring at him.

"What is it?" House barked at them after five minutes of staring.

"Nothing," Cameron replied. "It's just that you have us the afternoon off yesterday."

"What? Can't I be nice?" House asked with innocence.

"No," Foreman said, speaking up. "You're never 'just nice'."

"We've got a case, you know?" Chase said, entering the room and tossing a file onto the table. "Cuddy asked you if you'd be interested."

"Sure," House sighed in relief, glad for the change in conversation. "What do have?"

"Eight-year-old girl complaining of bloody stool," Chase replied.

"Sounds good. I'll take it... test for hemorrhoids and anemia." House, got up, and returned to his desk. "If you guys are really good, I'll give you another afternoon off."

The three doctors left the room, leaving House to his thoughts.

"He's never just nice," House could have sworn he heard Foreman whisper to Cameron on his way out, but maybe House was just being paranoid.

As the day progressed, House became to think more and more about Katie. He tried putting himself in her place. How would it feel if your father said he wanted nothing to do with you? If he were Katie, he would be hurt, confused. He wouldn't understand.

"If I explain this to her," House thought to himself, "then maybe I'll feel better about this."

House picked up his cell phone, punching in the numbers to call Karen.

"Hello," A voice that House now recognized as Karen said.

"Karen? This is Gregory House."

"I'm so glad you called. How can I help you?" Karen's voice was so expectant, like she anticipated that House would say that he would allow Katie to live with him.

"I..." House started, but he wasn't sure how to phrase it. "I just want to talk to Katie... just to explain to her why I can't let her live with me... and stuff..."

"Sure." Karen's voice dropped. "When can you come to see her?"

"Actually, I was hoping that I could just call her... or something. Email, maybe?"

"Face to face is better."

"I'm a doctor," House tried to reason. "I'm a very busy person."

"I'm sure you are, but this is your daughter. Surly, you have time for her?"

"Come on, lady. Just give her phone number," House growled.

"Mr. House," Karen stated tautly. "I will give you her address and I will call her foster parents to tell them that you will be coming to talk to her. But I will not let you blow her off like this. All right? She's your daughter."

"Okay," House whispered at the outburst.

"Good. When can you come?"

"Tomorrow... at noon, I guess."

"And you better be there," Karen warned. "It will crush her if you say you're coming and then don't show up, all right?"

"Okay," House said numbly, hanging up the phone. At that exact moment, his team came in from running the tests.

"Anemic," Foreman said, "But no hemorrhoids. What could that mean?"

House didn't reply; he just stared into the distance, looking at something only he could see.

"House?" Chase called. "You there?"

"Earth to House," Foreman yelled.

All of a sudden, House's head slowly creaked to look at the three younger doctors. All three of them, involuntarily, flinched as he opened his mouth, awaiting the verbal assault. But it never came.

"I'm going to need tomorrow off," was all House said in a voice barely audible. "Personal day, you know?"

"Something's going on," Foreman whispered to himself as he watched House. "Something is definitely up."

'

House left his home at 11:30 the next day in order to get to Katie's foster home by 11:00. Traffic wasn't too bad, and he made good time. By 11:50, he was pulling into a large house in a suburb in New Jersey. In the front yard, he noticed a dozen or so kids playing. A quick assessment of the scene told him that Katie wasn't one of them.

"Can I help you?" a voice asked. House looked up. Sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch was a large, middle-aged woman.

"Yes, I'm here to see my... daughter," House replied, wincing at the word 'daughter'.

"Ah, yes... you must be Kathy's father."

"Actually," House said, a bit uneasy. "I believe her name is Katie."

"Oh, yes... Katie...of course. I think she's inside," the woman said in a huff, obviously embarrassed by her mistake.

Taking it as an invitation to go inside, House cautiously opened the door to the house. To the left of the door was a living room where about five teenagers were watching some TV show. Clearing his throat, he made the kids look up.

"Do any of you guys know where Katie is?" He asked.

"Yeah," a boy replied, eyes already turning back to the TV. "She's upstairs, where she always is."

"What do you 'always is'" House asked, wanting to know more about his kid.

"Everyone knows that Katie is some depressed crybaby who hides in her room all day," a girl sneered.

"She never eats... she's weird," a younger boy added.

"Well, that's all I needed to know," House said, already trying to get up the stairs with his bad leg.

After several painful minutes, House found himself on the top floor. Looking around, he saw several closed doors. At first he didn't know what to do; did he knock on the door, or did he just go in? Shrugging, he tapped each door with his cane, waiting for a reply. One finally came on the second to the last door of the hallway.

"Come in," came a muffled reply. House took it as all the invitation he needed. Opening the door, he saw Katie perched on top of the top bunk of one of the two bunk beds in the room. She was staring at the floor with a sad look, not even looking up at House. He noticed, slightly startled, that she looked noticeably thinner since the last time he had saw her.

"Hey," House said clearing his throat. Katie was startled by the noise and looked up.

"I wasn't expecting you today," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Really? I called your social worker yesterday, to tell her that I was coming to see you."

"Yes, she said that."

"Then why weren't you expecting me?"

"I just assumed you weren't going to show up," she shrugged, turning away from House.

"Oh... well, I keep my promises." House walked over to the other side of Katie so that he was once again in her range of vision.

"So," Katie said, once again turning away. "What are you here for?"

"I have to talk to you…"

"Okay... so talk..."

"Um..." House said, not exactly sure what to say. "I want to talk to you about our... relationship." He paused for a moment to watch Katie. She made no reaction. House continued. "About... you living with me."

Katie turned around, her whole face alive, lit with delight.

"You... you mean, I get to live with you?" She asked in a whisper filled with delight.

"No, actually, that's what I want to talk to you about... I want to explain to you why you can't live with me."

"Oh... all right." The joy fell of Katie's face as quickly as it had come, replaced by a grim, sad look. House automatically wanted to kick himself for causing the girl such obvious distress. He liked the way she looked when she had hope... it gave made him happy that he could make his daughter happy.

"When I was your age," House began, "my father and I didn't get along very well. I often wished that I didn't have a father at all. Consider yourself lucky. You won't have to put up with me at all."

"I want to put up with you," Katie cried. "I don't want to live in this place anymore."

"I won't be a good father," House reasoned. "I'll always be at work. I won't be able to take care of you."

"I'm old enough to take care of myself."

"Your just a kid... you need someone to take care of you."

"I'll be fourteen in three months," Katie said. "That's old enough."

"Fine... but I'll hurt your feelings. You'll hate me. Live with me for a week, and you'll be begging to go to your foster home."

"Fine. Let me beg."

House was startled by the forcefulness of the girl's voice. She had courage. He admired it.

"Look," House finally said. "I don't want a kid. I don't know how to be a father. I don't want you."

"I see," Katie whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "I see you're just going to let me live here, live here until I rot."

"You won't rot," House laughed. "In four years and three months, you'll be eighteen, and you can leave."

"Four years is a long time."

"Look, kid... we probably won't talk after today, but believe me... this is for your own good. Really, it is."

"No, this is for your own good. You want me to stay here so your life won't change. Your selfish... and you hate me!" Tears streamed down Katie's face as she screamed the last four words.

"You're right. I do hate you!" With that, House limped out the door. The words he said would forever be engraved in his and Katie's mind, but neither of they were sure they were true.

**Thank you to all who reviewed! I love reviews! **

**Thanks for reading,**

**Blame it on the Government**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

The next day at work, House was withdrawn even more so than the previous days.

"I'm going to my office to do something... important," House announced to his employees the moment he arrived at the hospital. "Don't interrupt me."

Throughout the day, Chase, Cameron, and Foreman watched House through the glass windows of his office. They expected him do be doing something important such as do paper work, or reading a medical journal. But instead, the only thing he was doing was staring off into the distance, doing absolutely nothing of importance.

"What do you think it is?" Foreman asked his colleagues in a hushed tone so House wouldn't hear. "What do you thinks up with him?"

"Probably just his leg," Chase said with a shrug. "He's just being House."

"No, House is never just House," Cameron said, biting her lip. "I agree with Foreman... something is definitely up."

"What do you think it is?" Foreman asked.

"I don't know," Cameron replied. "He looks upset. What upsets him?"

"He hates it when he can't solve a case," Chase said, "But we haven't had any unresolved cases lately, so I guess that's out."

"Maybe one of his friends died," Foreman suggested. "But I don't think he has any friends outside the hospital, so that can't be it... you don't know anyone who died, do you?"

"No," Chase replied. "No one... that can't be it."

"Maybe it has something to do with his family," Cameron said, thinking hard. "Maybe he's dad's dying or something..."

"Could be," Muttered Forman. "But we can only guess."

"Yeah," Chase agreed. "Fat chance he'd tell us anything."

While the three young doctors were talking, House was thinking hard about what he had told his daughter the previous day. Was it true? Did he really hate her? The he thought about what she had said about him being selfish... could that be true too? House knew he didn't have to question it; it was obvious that he was.

House remembered with clarity the time when he was Katie's age. Because of his father, he promised himself he would never have kids. But, if somehow his plans went astray, as they often did, then he vowed that he would not treat his children the way his father had treated him. He knew, by allowing Katie to stay in that foster home, that he was treating his daughter the same, if not worse, than the way his father had treated him. House would still have to think about it, but he was pretty sure that he was going to get Katie out of that foster home, even if it meant that he had to allow her to live him. Picking up his cell phone, he dialed Karen Patterson's phone number.

"Hello?" a voice asked on the third ring. "Karen Patterson."

"Yes, it's Gregory House. I'm calling about my daughter, Katie House," House said into the phone.

"Oh, yes, Dr. House... I'm very excited to hear from you. How did your meeting with Katie go yesterday?"

"It went well," he lied. "I was hoping I could talk to you today about something."

"Sure, anything." House could sense the excitement in her voice.

"One of the things Katie told me yesterday is that she's really unhappy in the foster home she lives in," House started.

"Yes, that's common for children to have homesickness when away from their home and their parents."

"And I was wondering—,"

"You were wondering if Katie could live with you. Of course!" Karen cut House off. "I'll call Katie and –,"

"I was wondering," House said louder, cutting Karen off. "If you could move Katie to another foster home. She doesn't seem like she's happy in the one she's in."

"Dr. House," Karen said stiffly, "we do not take orders from parents. If you want your daughter to live in a new home, let her move in with you. Both of you will be much happier."

"Thank you very much for your help," House said abruptly, hanging the phone up.

So that idea was out. Looking up out his office window, House could see his employees looking at him. Cursing, he left his office, entering the conference area.

"What are you looking at?" House shouted. "Don't we have a patient?"

"Discharged this morning," Foreman replied. "He had a really bad case of food poisoning."

"Then do something else!" House yelled. "I don't care what. Cameron and Chase, I do believe there are some unoccupied closets in this hospital you can have sex with... and Foreman, why don't you... why don't you... just go do something!"

Looking down, House realized he was still holding in his hand. Setting it down on the conference table, House left the office, limping down the office in a mad flurry of hate.

"That was interesting," Foreman said, slightly startled. "I wonder what that was about."

"Maybe he's dying," Cameron pondered. "For real this time."

"Perhaps—," Chase started to say, but was cut off by the ringing of a cell phone. Looking down, he realized that it was House's.

"Should we answer it?" asked Cameron.

"Maybe we could find out something if we did," Foreman said.

Chase shrugged, answering the phone on the third ring.

"Hello," Chase said into the phone.

"Hello," a female voice replied. "Is Gregory House there?"

"Um, No, I'm sorry, but he's unavailable at the moment."

"All right. Will you tell him that Karen Patterson called?"

"Sure. Do you have a number?"

"Oh, believe me," said the voice. "He has my number."

"All right. Bye."

"Thank you. Bye."

With that, Chase hung up the phone, turning wide eyed to stare at the other two doctors.

"I don't think you guys will believe me," Whispered Chase, "but I think House has a girlfriend."

House never thought it would work, and he was right: it didn't. Forgetting about Katie would never do. He would think about her forever; she would be forever engraved in his mind. Ever since he had found out about her, he had tried his best to just put her out if his mind, but every time, she turned around and haunted him in some way. He knew she would be unhappy in that dreadful foster home until she turned eighteen, and after that, House would have to live with the knowledge that he had caused a kid pain and suffering that could have been avoided. He never thought, not once in his entire life, that a kid, a mere little girl, could cause him so much suffering.

No matter what choice he chose, House was going to be digging himself into a hole. If he let Katie stay where she was, then he would have to live with the guilt for the rest of his life. If he didn't, then his whole life would be turned upside down. Neither option looked too appealing. Whatever his decision was, he'd have to make it soon before guilt consumed him in the great, fiery pits of living Hell.

**I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far, and to everyone who has taken the time to read my story. It means so much to me. I love reviews, and the more that I received the happier I am.**

**Thanks for Reading!**

**Blame it on the Government **


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

"I don't get why we didn't see it before," Chase said later that afternoon over a hamburger and fries in the hospital cafeteria. "I mean, it explains everything: the afternoon we got off, the day _he _took off... even his mood."

"I just can't believe House has a girlfriend," Chuckled Foreman.

"Me neither," Cameron sighed. She looked slightly depressed, her eyes staring at the floor. "I can't believe any girl would fall for him." She looked up from the floor, her eyes once again smiling.

"You're not..." started Chase. "You're not jealous, are you?"

"Of course not!" Cameron laughed. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

"Yeah..." Wondered Foreman. "Can you imagine... you and House..."

"Yes, completely ridiculous," Chase laughed along with Cameron and Forman.

"Totally." Cameron was still laughing, though her smile seemed fake, her girlish giggle less hearty.

"I wonder what she's like, though..." Foreman speculated. "Exactly what can thins girl be like."

"Stupid... she must be stupid," Chase said, thinking hard. "Who else but a stupid, horny girl would fall for House?"

"Hey—!" Cameron started, but was cut off by a strong voice in the distance.

"We've got another case," Said the voice. "Finish up your tea party and get to it. NOW!"

House limped to the table, throwing a file down on the table.

"We've got a twenty-one year old, male, with hair loss, weight loss, swollen lymph nodes, excessive urination, and bloody vomit," said House, staring at each of his employees in the eyes.

"Sounds very interesting," said Foreman, very annoyed. "But we're in the middle of lunch right now. Can't we get back to you in twenty minutes?"

"Twenty minutes?" House said, feigning astonishment. "In twenty minutes, our patient may be dead. What will I tell his poor, weeping mother? His life couldn't be saved because his doctors just had to eat their burgers and fries?"

"Fine," Foreman sighed, standing up. "We're on it."

House stayed behind in the cafeteria, waiting for his employees to leave. Once they had rounded the corner, House sank into his chair, covering his head in his hands. In his opinion, he had acted quite normal around the other doctors; they wouldn't suspect a thing.

House had given himself a couple of hours to think about it, and now, he was almost sure about it: Katie had to live with him. It wasn't an easy decision to make, and once he realized there were no more options, he made his choice. There would be a lot of preparations to make, the most important cleaning the house. And he would have to get ready emotionally... yes, it was going to take a lot of work. He was ready to call Karen to tell her that he wanted Katie to move in with him. He reached for his cell phone, alarmed when he could not find it. He thought about it for a moment, remembering that he had left it on the conference table. Cursing, he limped back upstairs.

"Have any of you guys seen my cell phone?" House asked as he walked into the room.

"Yeah," Chase replied, picking it up from the table and handing it to House.

All three doctors looked at House, hiding smiles behind their hands.

"What is it?" House bellowed, noticing the snickers.

"We know," Chase laughed.

"Know about who?" Demanded House.

"About her!" Chase chuckled lightly. "We think it's wonderful."

"Oh, you do." House thought he would be angry that they had found out about Katie, but instead, he felt relieved. He was no longer alone. He could confide in someone. This was something he never did, but he knew talking would feel good.

"I'm thinking about asking her to move in with me," House sighed as he looked at his employees. "Do you think it's a good idea?"

The three doctors looked at their boss with surprise written on their faces. Was this _the _Gregory House having a conversation? About his _personal _life?

"Yeah," Chase finally spat out, recovering from the surprise. "If you really love each other, then it's a great idea."

"Well..." House drifted off. "I have to admit, we really don't know each other that well, but I think it'll be good for both of us."

"To each his own," Foreman muttered, turning away from his boss.

"Let's not talk about this right now," Cameron said, not wanting to hear more about House's girlfriend. "Can we get back to the patient?"

"Sure," House said, surprised that he hadn't been the one to make that suggestion.

Later, back in his office, Foreman, Chase, and Cameron gone running tests, House picked up his cell phone, and dialed Karen's number. This was it. This was here his life would end and his new one would start. He wasn't particularly happy that this was the choice he chose, but now that he made the decision, he knew he couldn't go back on it.

"Hello?" Karen asked on the first ring.

"Hi, is this Karen?" House replied.

"Yes."

"Hi, this is Gregory House... I'm calling about my daughter, Katie." House would never get used to using the word daughter. "I have something to ask."

"No," Karen sighed.

"What!" House exclaimed. "I haven't even asked the question."

"You know what?" Karen asked. "I don't even have to know the question to know the answer is no. All you are is a jerk. Here you are, a man physically, mentally, and financially able to take care of his daughter, who won't. You are a selfish, mean man."

"Yes," said House. "I know that... but I think you're going to say yes to this particular question.

"What is it?"

"Can Katie... I mean, I think... I want... Can Katie live me?" House managed to spit out.

"Of... of course. " Karen was obviously shocked by the question. She hadn't thought that this man could care for anyone beside himself. "Are you sure? This is a big decision!"

"First," House grumbled, "you tell me I'm a selfish man for not letting Katie live me, and then you're asking me if I'm sure."

"I just want to make sure you're not being pressured into this by me, or someone else. This should be carefully thought through... I mean, it's not like you can give her back or anything."

"What!" House gasped. "You mean if this doesn't work out, I can't, like, return her, or something?

"Only if she's being hurt in some way, or if you are physically, mentally, or financially unable to take care of her," Karen replied. "Besides that, there's a no return policy. She's not a pair of jeans you can take back to the store when you realize they don't fit right."

"Can I try them on first?" House asked, liking the metaphor.

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you're asking. What do you mean try them on?"

"Could she just stay with me for one night. If I like it, she can stay. If I don't, she can go."

"That seems a little unfair for Katie, don't you think?" Karen asked skeptically.

"Yeah, I guess," House said, realizing that he was being selfish once more.

"If you want Katie to live with you, make the decision. Otherwise, stay out of her life."

It was so tempting for House to say he wanted Katie out of his life, but he knew that he couldn't. He felt responsible for her. If she killed herself, or something, then House would feel miserable.

"I've made my decision," House said confidently. "Katie is going to live with me."

**Please Review. Thanks for reading**

**Blame It On the Government **


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

House was, once again, back the huge house where Katie lived. This time, he was here to tell her that she was going to live with him. Excitement built up in House's chest. This was it. This was the time he would have to be a father.

As House got out of his car, he noticed that there were no children in the front yard. It made sense for the sky was angry and dark, threatening a summer storm. House wanted to ignore it, but, somehow, he took it as a bad omen.

He rang the doorbell as the same heavyset woman who he had talked to the first time answered the door.

"You _must _be _Dr._ House," Said the woman, Suzy, in a very flirtatious manner. "Katie's been _so _excited about you coming to visit her."

"I'm excited about seeing her, too," House said pleasantly. "I am not, however, excited about seeing horny, morbidly obese women."

For a moment, Suzy stared wide-eyed at House. Collecting her bearings, she shook her head.

"How rude!" She exclaimed. "I have half a mind to call social services and tell them that you are unfit to raise a child."

"I suppose you only have half a mind because you can't possibly be smart enough to have a whole one," House snickered. He felt better, in control of the situation now that he had thrown a few sarcastic insults to a person he didn't particularly like. "But we're not here to talk about you. I want to pick up my daughter, Katie."

"Of course," Suzy said, shaking her head in a disbelieving way. "This way."

Suzy lead House into house and into a living room where Katie was sitting on a couch. She looked so small, so much thinner than she had been on the previous encounters.

"Hey, Katie," House said softly, gently touching her arm. "Are you ready to go?"

Katie looked at him with her eyes, her incredibly blue, soft eyes. They weren't cold like her father's, but gentle and kind.

"Sure," she replied. She stood up from the couch, her legs wavering as she stood. She looked like she was about to collapse. Her back seemed to groan and sway as she threw her backpack on.

"I'll get that!" House cried as she went to pick up her duffel bag. "I mean, it looks like you have enough to carry already."

Katie nodded, letting her father pick up her bag. It was difficult for House to carry the duffel bag with his leg, but Katie didn't look very strong. House believed that the weight of her duffel bag might snap her arms in half.

"Say goodbye to this place, Katie," House whispered as he started up the car. "You won't be coming back."

Katie nodded, her face solemn. "It's not like I'm going to miss it," she whispered back. "I'm glad to be leaving with you."

Despite himself, House felt the corners of his mouth turn up. "I'm glad you're going to be living with me." House heard himself utter the words, surprising even himself.

They drove most of the way back in relative silence.

"Are you hungry?" House asked as they neared home. "I know a great place just up here." It was about noon, time for lunch.

In response, Katie shook her head.

"Did you all ready eat lunch?" House said, slightly concerned. Again, Katie shook her head. He noted the size of her body. Had she not been eating? That could cause health problems... It could be a health problem...

"You must be hungry," House tried to reason. "Everybody has to eat."

"My stomach hurts," Katie said simply. "I want to lie down."

"Are you sure? You don't want anything to eat?"

"Positive."

House was concerned. Being the doctor he was, he started to diagnosing Katie with a variety of illnesses, even though he knew she was probably just depressed since her mom had just died. After a while, House thought, she would come around and eat something. It was just going to take some time to heal.

"Okay, we're home," House announced as soon as they pulled up in front of the apartment building. Katie nodded, getting out. A she did, House noticed a large bruise on her arm that disappeared into her shirtsleeve. It was black, and purple, a brand new bruise.

"Wow, that's some bruise," House said as he unlocked the door, stepping into the apartment. "What happened?"

"What?" Katie asked, looking down. "I don't see a bruise."

"It's right there." House gently touched the bruise to let the girl know where it was.

"You're right, that is a big bruise..." Katie said as she spotted it.

"So what happened?"

"I'm not sure," Katie said, scrutinizing. "Last night, there was a boy who pushed me because I wouldn't give him my dinner. But he didn't hit me hard enough to leave a bruise."

"That's weird," House muttered, closing the door behind Katie as she stepped in. "Anyway, I don't have an extra bedroom right now where you can stay, but you can sleep on the couch, okay?"

"All right," she replied, setting her backpack down on the floor next to her duffel bag.

"So..." House drifted off, not sure what to say. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know... I'm kind of tired. I just want to sit down," Katie replied in a small voice. She sat down on the couch, leaning back and closing her eyes.

"Do you want to watch TV?" House asked as he saw her close her eyes.

"Hmmmm?" She said, opening her eyes. "Yes, that sounds fine."

House nodded, flipping the TV on. Flipping through the channels, he saw a wrestling match. He looked to Katie, who was groggily staring at the TV.

"Wrestling all right?" He asked. He expected her to say no, to want to watch some cartoon or something, but, to his surprise, she just nodded.

Hours later, after the two had watched two wrestling matches, a few dirt bike races, the evening news, and a documentary on the travel channel, House announced that he was going to bed.

"I have to be up early tomorrow," House muttered as he got to up to go to his room. "Well, um, the bathrooms over there... you can wash up in there, and there's food in the kitchen if you get hungry... and...um goodnight."

"Goodnight," Katie replied in a small voice.

Once she was sure that House was in his room, Katie went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She wasn't exactly what she thought of her newfound father. He didn't talk much, and didn't seem too affectionate. At any rate, though, he seemed nice enough. Maybe her life wouldn't be so bad after all.

Soon, Katie found herself wrapped in her favorite pajamas. It was a large, pink t-shirt, and a pair of large, striped sweats. From her duffel bag, she extracted the quilt her great-grandmother had made for her mother when her mother had just been a little girl. Wrapping up in it, Katie sniffed in the large, delicious scent of her mother. Katie missed her mom terribly, and she didn't know if she would ever heal.

The next morning, House woke to the feeling that something wasn't quite right. He remembered that he didn't go to work the day before, which meant he made coffee at home. Did he leave the coffee pot on? He didn't think so. How about the oven? No, he didn't remember using the oven the day before. What could it be? Over the course of several minutes, House went through the mental checklist. Nothing seemed to be out of place. Then, with wide eyes, he remembered. Katie. Stifling a groan, House rolled out of bed, groping for his cane. As his hand connected with it, he mentally prepared himself for what he would find when he opened his bedroom door.

Walking out into the living room, he was startled by the sight of his daughter, already up and dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a pink tank top. She had the TV on, watching a rerun of Spongebob Squarepants. House smiled at this. She was like a normal kid after all.

"Good morning," House greeted as he walked up to Katie. "Sleep we—." The sight of several large bruises covering Katie's legs, shoulders, and arms cut off House. "Katie, what happened?" House asked with curiosity.

"What?" Katie looked down and saw the bruises. "I don't know. The bruises just appear, you know?"

House was slightly disturbed by this, but what could he say? The kid bruised easy.

"Anyway," House continued. "I have to go to work today, but there's things for you to do. You can go to the library... it's just down the street... I'll give you my library card... and there's a park not from here either... just be home by seven, okay. That's when I'll be home."

"I don't think I'll go anywhere today," Katie said.

"Okay, so what are you going to do?"

"Sleep... watch TV...maybe read a book..."

"So, that's what you're going to do all day?" House sneered.

"Um, yeah... I guess?" Katie shrank back in the couch, making herself as small as possible.

"Oh, god, stop moping!" House yelled before he could stop himself. "So you're mom died. People die all the time. GET OVER IT."

"Oh," Katie said with a small cry. "Oh... oh."

House gazed upon Katie with a sinister eye, disgusted that this was his daughter. Then he saw her face, eyes wide with terror, her body contorted to fit inside the couch. Instantly, he was ashamed of himself for yelling at her, for causing her distress.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, turning around to get ready for work.

"It's not all right," Katie whispered to herself as she watched House leave the apartment for work. "Not right at all."

**Hey everybody! I have some bad news... there might not be any updates for the next two weeks. It's the final couple of weeks before summer, and teacher can be really cruel this time of year. I have an algebra project, a history project, finals in Spanish, English, Algebra, History, and Science, marching band stuff, summer activities to plan (yes!) And lots more stuff that I can't remember right now. As you can see, I have many priorities that I have to place before this story. I promise, though, that there will be several new chapters in two weeks. I have several plot twists planned, and I can't wait to write it. Thanks for reading!**

**Blame it on the Government **


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8:

"So, when do you think we'll meet her?" Chase asked, making coffee. "I'm actually kind of curious to find out what she's like."

"Who cares?" muttered Cameron, plopping down in a chair. "It's just some poor girl who got picked up by House at some bar. It'll be over before we know it."

"I don't know," retorted Foreman. "He seems pretty serious about her."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Cameron whispered back, thinking hard. She had always had a little crush on House. It wasn't big, and she knew that she could keep it under control. But now that House was dating someone else, Cameron didn't know how long she could take it. Jealousy was taking over her mind, and soon it would compromise her work. She wanted to tell House how she felt, but she didn't know how exactly to tell him.

"Speaking of House," Foreman said. "Where is he?"

The words were hardly out of his mouth when House burst through the door.

"We've got a new patient," House announced, throwing a file down on the table.

"What happened?" Chase asked House. House was wearing a pair of blue pajama pants, a plain white t-shirt, and a pair of fuzzy slippers. His hair was untidy, sticking out in every direction, and if you were to get close enough, you would be able to smell the putrid scent of morning breath and body odor.

"None of your business," House snapped. "We have patient. You guys are doctors. Let's save some lives!"

"Um, all right... what are the symptoms?" Foreman asked, carefully avoiding House's insane, livid glare.

"I don't now," House yelled sarcastically. "Why don't you guys go and find out for yourselves. Go on, the room number is written on the file."

Afraid of what would happen if they didn't, the three young doctors got up and carefully stole out of the room.

"That was weird," Chase muttered as soon as they were out earshot.

"Tell me about," Foreman replied. "Have you ever seen him like that?"

"No, I haven't," Chase said, thinking hard. "What do you think it could be?"

"Girlfriend trouble, I guess," reasoned Foreman. "What else could it be?"

"This is the room," Cameron announced as they came to the patient's room. "I guess we'll have to talk about House's girlfriend later."

Entering the room, they found a middle-aged man, perhaps forty-five, with a large tumor growing on his arm.

"Oh my God," Chase sighed as he looked at the man. "I can't believe House sent us to this guy. He has a _tumor _on his arm. It's obvious that's what's wrong with him."

"It's benign," The man said, speaking up for the first time. "Been checked out by a doctor and everything. Everything's okay there. It's my foot that's been bothering me." The man tossed aside the bed sheets, revealing a large, greenish wound covering his entire foot and most of his ankle.

"We should test you for diabetes," Foreman said carefully addressing the patient. "It looks like you have gang green."

"So?" The man argued. "Why does that mean it has to be diabetes?"

"It's very rare that anyone who is healthy to get gang green," Foreman explained. "We'll have to run a blood test to confirm it, but I'm pretty sure that's what it is."

As Foreman spoke, Cameron inserted a needle into the man's arm, extracting a vile filled with dark, red blood.

"I'm going to take this to the lab," Cameron said, heading for the door. "Take the patient's history while I'm gone."

"All right," Foreman said as Cameron left.

Cameron dropped the blood at the lab, and on the way back, she ran into Cuddy.

"Cameron!" Cuddy called. "Just the person I wanted to see."

"It's good to see you too," Cameron replied with a smile. "Why did you want to see me?"

"I wanted to ask you about House," Cuddy said with an uneasy smile. "Did you see him this morning? What he was wearing?"

"Yeah, I did. It's weird, isn't it?"

"Do you have any idea what's going on with him?" Cuddy looked at Cameron with a curious, scrutinizing look.

"No... I mean, we think we do..."

"What do you mean? Please... elaborate."

"He has a girlfriend... personally, I don't get how that would have anything to do with it."

"A girlfriend..." Cuddy whispered to herself. Could it be true? The same House that was always flirting with her in some way, always making some comment about her body? Could it be true that House had a girlfriend that was she, Lisa Cuddy... no, it didn't seem possible. Yet, it was...

"We are completely sure," Cameron responded hastily. "There was just this lady who called asking for House. When we asked for a phone number, she just laughed and said that House had her number already."

"Sounds like a girlfriend to me," Cuddy said matter-of-factly.

"Um, yeah... it does..." Cameron drifted off, the conversation with the older doctor becoming slightly awkward.

"It was nice chatting with you," Cuddy said, stepping away. "I'll see you later."

"Nice talking to you too. Bye."

Cameron made her way back to the diagnostics department to tell House what they discovered.

"House," Cameron said as she sat down at the table. "We think it's diabetes."

"Yeah, I think you're right," House sighed back. He had taken a shower in the locker room, brushed his teeth, and was dressed in a clean set of scrubs, something he only wore when he was desperate.

"If you knew it was diabetes, then why did you send us down there to check him out?" Cameron asked.

"To give you something to do," House replied with a rare smile.

_This is it, _Cameron thought to herself. _I'm going to tell him how I feel. _

"Um, House..." Cameron started. "I want to tell you something."

"What is it?" House snorted. "If it's about... well, anything, really... I don't want to hear it."

"I think it's important," Cameron said with a sly smile.

"Well, let's hear it then."

"House," Cameron started. "I've really enjoyed my time working with you. I've like it a lot..."

"Tell me you're not quitting?" House asked, rolling his eyes.

"No, it's not that," Cameron assured House, walking close up to his body, placing one hand gently on his shoulder. "I've enjoyed working at this hospital, but mostly, I've enjoyed working with you..."

"Me!" House exclaimed, sensing where this was going. "You don't... _like _me... do you?"

"I do... and I just can't keep my feelings hidden anymore... I like you House... I wanted you to know that."

A month ago, if Cameron had come on to House the way she just had, House would have jumped for joy. Cameron was a very pretty girl, and he wouldn't mind dating her. But now, with Katie... it was just too much for him to take in.

"Cameron..." House sighed. "I have so much going on in my life right now... I have another girl in my life that demands a lot of my time... there's just no room for you right now."

"I know," Cameron said sadly. "I just want you to know incase you change your mind... or something..."

"Thanks for sharing your feelings and everything, but, really, I'm not interested."

"House... I..."

"I would love to chat, Cameron, really, but I have clinic duty to do right now... I'll see you."

With that, House disappeared down the hallway, thinking hard about what had just happened. He couldn't believe he was voluntarily seeking the clinic to treat patients, but he would do anything to get away from Cameron. Katie was enough to think about at the moment.

At about six' o'clock pm, after spending the majority of the time treating patients in the clinic, House's pager went off, signaling for him to come to his patient's room.

"Yeah, what is it?" House asked as he walked into the room of his patient.

"He went into cardiac arrest," Chase replied. "Where were you all day?"

"In the clinic, if you must know," House replied. "What's his heart rate?"

"I30," Foreman replied. "It's not bad."

"No, it's not... keep an eye on him and...OH SHOOT." House looked at his watch. It read 6:57. "I have to go!"

"We have a patient," Chase said, nearly whined. "You can't go right now!"

"I'm your boss, and I say I can," House said smartly, heading out of the room. "You guys are smart enough to handle this by yourselves... I have to go."

House hopped on his motorcycle, pulling into the driveway of the apartment building five minutes past seven. Staring at the door, House dared himself to go in. He was a little ashamed of himself for what he had said earlier that day. Biting his lip, he gritted his teeth, walking through the door.

"Katie, I'm home," He called, awaiting the reply of his daughter.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9:

House awaited a reply from Katie, but none came.

"Katie?" He called again

That was when he heard it.

The sound he heard was like nothing he had ever heard before. It was soft and slow at times, lulling him to sleep, like a lullaby. Other times, it was fast with very high notes and an upbeat rhythm. For several moments, House stood in the doorway, listening to the music. He didn't know exactly where the noise was coming from, or why. At first, he thought it was a CD, but as he listened, he realized that someone was playing the music on an instrument.

House walked into the living, startled to fine Katie holding a clarinet.

"Oh, hi," Katie said shyly, hiding the clarinet behind her back as if she were ashamed of the instrument.

"That was beautiful," House whispered to Katie, staring at her with a surprised expression. "I didn't know you could play."

"Thanks, but it was nothing," Katie whispered back, already taking the clarinet apart.

"I would like to hear more," House admitted with a little bit of a smile.

"No, I couldn't," the girl protested, closing the lid of her case.

House didn't argue anymore with his daughter. He just nodded, going into his room to change into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

As soon as House was out of the room, Katie looked down at her hands. They were shaking uncontrollably. It was because she was nervous, she told herself. The shaking would stop as soon as the shock of being caught playing wore off.

"Hey, do you want to go grab a bite to eat?" House asked as he walked out of his room. "I know this great place just down the street."

"I'm not really hungry," Katie admitted softly, folding her hands in her lap, clutching them so they wouldn't shake.

"Well, I'm going out to dinner," House declared, "and I want you to come with me." House didn't know if was right to force Katie to come with him, but he wanted to get her to eat. He knew she probably hadn't had the chance to eat anything decent since her mom had died. If she had good food in front of her, then she would give in. She would have to eat.

"Do I have to go?" she asked somewhat boldly.

"Yeah, you do."

"Oh, okay."

House watched as she stood up on unsteady legs, slipping on her shoes. She shook slightly as she took a step forward.

"Are you all right?" House asked with an uneasy expression

"Yeah," she replied with a grimace. "I just feel a little weak."

"It's probably because you haven't eaten in a while. Get some food in you, and you'll feel as good as new."

"All right," She nodded with a shiver. "Let's go."

House escorted Katie to the car, gingerly clutching her shoulder as he gently sat her in the passenger seat. House started the car, driving down the road to his favorite diner.

"What's wrong?" House asked halfway there.

Katie was clutching the sides of the car seat, her face contorted to a grimace.

"I don't know... it's just this pain... it's..." She trailed off, her breath a pained gasp.

"What does it feel like?" House inquired.

"It's this dull, aching feeling... it's not coming from any particular place...it seems to be everywhere."

"Do you want to go home?"

"No." she shook her head. "It's going to pass in a little bit. Sometimes, I just hurt like this."

House eyed his daughter with a curious eye. What could this mean? He decided that she just needed to eat. Once she had some food in her system, she would feel fine.

"You really need to eat," House said under his breath as they pulled into the parking lot of the diner. "Come on."

The two walked into diner, choosing a booth. Katie sat on one side, House one the other. House picked up a menu from the table, eyeing it curiously.

"What would you like to eat?" House asked as he studied the menu. "They have great hamburgers here."

"I don't know," Katie said, resting her head on her hand. "I've kind of lost my appetite."

"You have to eat something," House insisted. "You'll die if you don't."

Katie swallowed solemnly as she heard House's words. Was she really starving herself to death?

"What would you two like to drink?" Katie was startled out of her thoughts by the voice of a middle-aged waitress.

"I'll have coffee," House answered, "and she'll have... a glass of milk."

Katie looked at House with a curious glance before turning toward the waitress.

"Just water, please," she said in a small voice.

"All right, I'll get your drinks right out." The waitress turned around.

"Why did you do that?" House asked Katie. "You need all the calories you can get."

"Then ask me what I want instead of just ordering it for me," Katie replied in soft, cool contempt.

"What! I'm your father. If I want you to drink milk... you'll drink milk!"

"No, I won't. You call yourself my father, but you don't even know I'm lactose intolerant."

"Oh." House leaned back, ashamed of himself. She was lactose intolerant! Who would have thought? Obviously, he wouldn't.

The two sat in silence for some time. The waitress brought them their drinks, but still none of them talked.

"What would you like to eat?" The waitress asked.

House looked at Katie. Katie looked at the Waitress. The waitress looked at House.

"So what will it be?" The waitress asked again, a little bit impatient.

"I'll have a cheeseburger," House replied with a nonchalant glance towards Katie. "Dry, no pickles."

"And you?" The waitress asked, turning towards Katie.

Katie stole a glance at House before averting her glance back to the waitress. The thought of food made her stomach queasy. Actually having it in front of her face would push over the edge into vomiting.

"She'll have the same thing I'm having, except no cheese." House looked at Katie to see her reaction. She looked a little of unhappy but otherwise unaffected.

"All right. I'll have that right out for you." The waitress left the table, disappearing through a set of swinging doors where the kitchen obviously lay.

The duo didn't say anything for a long time, each seizing the other one up. Katie thought House to be a bit overwhelming. House thought Katie to be a bit of a pushover. There he went again, ordering for her, and she didn't even seem to mind. If he were in her position, he would be arguing.

All of a sudden a plate of food was set in front of Katie and one in front of House.

"If you two need anything, just let me know," The waitress said as she once again left.

At once, House dug into his cheeseburger. He was halfway finished with it when he looked up to realize that Katie hadn't even touched her food.

"Katie," House said, trying to keep his voice even. "You need to eat. NOW EAT!"

House thought that his shouting would affect Katie, to make her cry, or to at least shock her into eating. It did none of the above. Instead, her eyes rolled back into her head as she slid out of the booth and onto the floor.

"Oh, great," House muttered as he knelt besides her, checking her pulse. He knew this would happen: she would starve herself until she fainted. But as his hand connected with her skin, he was surprised to find it very hot.

"Call an ambulance!" House shouted at the waitress who had just noticed Katie and was staring dumbstruck at the spectacle. "Well, what are you standing around for? Call 911 and tell them to take her to Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, okay?"

The waitress didn't move. Nobody did.

"I'll just do this myself," House muttered as he took out his cell phone, calling 911.

**I'm really sorry that I haven't update in a long time. I would like to say that I've been too busy, but the truth is, I haven't. I've been playing ToonTown, Playing Crash Bandicoot, rereading the Harry Potter series, and watching reruns of House. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and I promise the next update with come fairly quickly. **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10

The ambulance seemed to take forever for it to reach the diner. House kept checking and rechecking Katie's pulse. Each time, it seemed to be getting faster. House knew that if the ambulance didn't get there soon, Katie would flat-line, and CPR would have to be preformed to keep her from going brain dead. Reluctance

"Is there anything I can do to help?" The waitress asked, who only minutes earlier had been stunned stupid.

"Now you say something!" House exclaimed sounding very annoyed. "You're help would have been better needed two minutes ago. Since you've asked, you might as well get me a wet towel."

"A wet towel?" The waitress repeated.

"Yes, that's what I said!" House was slowing losing patience with the incompetent woman. "This girl could be dying here, and you're asking stupid questions!"

The word 'dying' kicked the waitress into gear, sending her off into the kitchen for the requested towel.

"Please be all right, Katie," House muttered under his breath as he once again checked her pulse. It didn't seem to be getting faster, which relieved House mildly. She would last until they got to the hospital.

"Here you go," The waitress said, handing a sopping towel to House as sirens blared in the background.

House wrenched the towel out of the waitress's and hands and promptly placed it on Katie's burning forehead.

"We got a call saying a girl fainted." House looked up from tending to Katie to see a man in the doorway clad in a paramedic's uniform where the voice obviously came from.

"Yes," said House. "That's right. Now, will you please take her to Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital before her brain fries?"

"We're working as fast as we can here, sir," The paramedic informed an enraged House as two other paramedics rolled a gurney through the open door.

"I'm going to have to ask you to step back, sir," Said the paramedic with the gurney.

House was reluctant to move away from Katie. He wasn't sure he liked the way paramedics did things, but he knew that it would cause conflict if he didn't do what they said. Conflict took time, which was exactly the thing Katie didn't have. With a protective eye, House watched them load the unconscious girl onto the girl, wheeling her outside.

House followed Katie out of the diner where an ambulance was waiting. He stood in the background as she was loaded into the back, and just before they were about to close the doors, House spoke up.

"If you don't mind," House said, "I'd like to ride in the back with her."

One of the paramedics jumped out from the back.

"Sorry," He said, though House got the impression that he really wasn't, "But we usually don't allow family members to ride in the back. You can ride in the front, though."

"I'm a doctor," House said condescendingly, "Which means I'm far more qualified to handle the situation then you will ever be."

The news that House was a doctor threw the paramedic off.

"Um..." The paramedic said, not sure whether to believe House or not. "Um... What hospital do you work at?"

"Princeton-Plainsboro, of course," House guffawed.

"Well, I know, or I've at least heard of all the doctors that work at Princeton-Plainsboro. Which doctor are you?"

"I'm doctor Gregory House. I'm the head of diagnostics," House said proudly.

"Oh!" The paramedic had indeed heard of House. The doctor was notorious for his snide remarks and his ability to save nearly all of his patients. Dr. House was right. He was the better one qualified if he was telling the truth. "There isn't room in the back for three people, plus a gurney." Dr. House might have been more qualifed, but the paramedic had his pride.

"Okay, so you can ride up front," House said simply, climbing into the ambulance, leaving the paramedic with only one option.

House felt calmer once he was with Katie again. The other paramedic, who had overheard the entire conversation, looked at House with an interested eye. Was it really _the _Dr. House?

"So, um," The paramedic started, "I checked her pulse. It's 140... well, I guess you know that's really high for a person at rest, since you are Dr. House after all... and her temperature is 104.6—,"

"Damn!" House muttered to himself as he the paramedic relayed the last bit of information. 104.6 was really high. "Have you taken her blood pressure?"

"Um... no, not yet—." The paramedic tried to say more, but House once again cut him off.

"The first thing you do," House seethed at the frightened man, "is to take all the vitals of the person. Now tell me, what is her blood pressure?"

"It's...um..." The paramedic fumbled with getting the cuff around the girl's arm. As soon as it was on, he started pumping it full of air, only for the velcro to come undone.

"Give the sphygmomanometer here," House said impatiently, holding out his hand.

"The what?" the paramedic replied stupidly.

"The blood pressure measure thing. That's what it's called, you know."

"Oh, um, yes... I knew that." The paramedic looked hurt, and somewhat stupid. He picked the sphygmomanometer off the floor and handed it to House.

"Here's how it's done," House said as wrapped the velcro around Katie's arm, making sure it was secure. He pumped it full of air, slowly allowing the air to leak out. He repeated the procedure, his head swimming with relief as he realized that Katie's blood pressure was normal.

"Um... Dr. House?" The paramedic asked uneasily, afraid of being shouted at.

"Yes, what it is?" House replied only slightly annoyed.

"We're at the hospital. It's time we unloaded her."

"Oh, yes... right." The doors opened, and Katie was unloaded. In a flash of a second, she diasppeared into the hospital. Panicked that House could no longer see Katie, he followed her into the ER. Already, there was doctor by her side, wheeling her to a rest in an incloser of hangings. The doctor, who House recognized as Dr. Johnson, started taking her temperature and ordering nurses to get him ice packs and cold blankets. Turning around, Dr. Johnson spotted House standing just a few feet away from the hospital bed that Katie was now occupying.

"Dr. House!" Dr. Johnson exclaimed. "What are you doing here! I have to say, I've got this covered. You can back to the clinic or diagnostics, wherever you came from." Averting his attention to the paramedic, Dr. Johnson spoke again. "Do you know where this girl's parents are? She has an infection, I believe, and I'll need to give her antibiotics."

With reluctance, House said, "I'm her father, Dr. Johnson."

"You are!" He said with surprise. "I didn't know you had any children."

"Neither did I," House muttered under his breath. Then, more audibly, he said, "You have my full consent on giving her antibiotics. I personally agree with your diagnoses of infection, though I'm not sure which one."

"Neither do I. Has she been near any wild animals?"

"Um… I'm not sure," House admitted awkwardly. "She's been… at her mother's." House didn't feel like going into the whole story, especially at time like this.

By now, a nurse had arrived, her arms laden with cold blankets and ice packs. Handing them to Dr. Johnson, he started placing them all around Katie's feverish body.

"Hopefully, she'll wake up after her fever goes down," Dr. Johnson muttered, once again taking her temperature. "Then she'll be able to tell us what she's been doing."

"Yeah," House agreed, not really liking another doctor taking care of his daughter. "Shouldn't we get her into a room? She'll be a lot more comfortable in there when she wakes up."

"Yes, that's a good idea." Dr. Johnson went off to talk to a nurse to see if any rooms were available for Katie.

"Dr. House?" A nurse came up to House with a clipboard. "Why don't you come into the waiting room? You have to fill out some papers."

"All right." House followed the nurse into the waiting room, took the papers, and filled them out to the best of his ability. All of a sudden, he realized how much he didn't know about Katie. If she died, House wouldn't be able to live himself. Here she was, House's daughter, and he didn't even know if she had any allergies or intolerances besides her one for lactose. Bending his head into his hands, House allowed himself to cry silently, something he had wanted to do for a very long time.

**Thank you very much for reading! About halfway through this chapter my spell check went out of wacky, so please forgive if there are more typos and incorrectly spelled than usual. As always, reviews are always appreciated! **


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11

"Did…you hear… the news?" Chase asked between breaths as he ran into the conference room slightly flustered. Only moments before he had left the room, planning on going home. But as he passed the ER, he heard mutterings about 'House's daughter'.

"What news?" Cameron replied lazily. It was half past nine, and all she wanted to do was to go home. Unfortunately, the patient that House had left them responsible for was very unstable. He needed a doctor nearby incase something went wrong. Cameron had most gallantly volunteered.

"They say… they say that House has… has… a kid." Chase sank in a chair, trying to catch his breath.

"What!" Cameron exclaimed. "That's ridiculous!"

"I don't know," reasoned Chase. "It would sure explain a lot."

"Yeah," Cameron agreed, "it would explain everything."

All of a sudden, with a large blood rush, everything clicked into place for Cameron. She remembered when House said that he wanted his girlfriend to move in with him, but wasn't sure because they didn't really love each other. Well, of course that would be the easiest arrangement for the two if they had an infant to take care of.

"Is the baby in the maternity ward?" Cameron asked, turning towards Chase. "I would like to see her."

"I don't know," Chase replied, nonplussed. "When I was passing by the ER, I heard she was there. I also heard that they were getting a room set up for her on this floor."

"Well, if she's sick enough to be in the hospital," Cameron thought out loud, " shouldn't she be in the NICU?"

"Well, that's what I was thinking… Let's go down to the ER. I have to say, I'm very curious."

Cameron nodded excitedly as the two exited the conference room. A few moments later, they were stumbling into the ER, looking around. It nearly empty except for a man in one corner, who looked like he was about to leave, and a someone else in the opposite corner who they couldn't see because of the thick flock of doctors and nurses surrounding the bed.

"Could that be her?" Chase asked, indicating towards the busy corner.

"Yeah, I guess…" Cameron drifted off as she walked towards it.

As they were approaching the corner, Dr. Johnson, a man who Cameron and Chase knew as the ER doctor, was thrust out of the crown, looking very flustered.

"I will not allow by ER to be a… a… side show, or something!" Dr. Johnson yelled over the sounds of talking and heart monitors. "You two are the fifth doctors to show up. If you really want more information on this girl, go see Dr. House." The doctor paused for a moment, catching his breath. Then, as he saw Cameron open her mouth, he shouted, "He's in the waiting room, if you must know!" Then he promptly turned around, disappearing in the thick flock of people.

Cameron and Chase turned around with a shrug, heading toward the waiting room.

"Did you see the patient?" Chase asked as he opened the door for Cameron.

"No… Did you?" She asked with curiosity.

"Yes… but just a glimpse."

"What did she look like?"

"I didn't get a very good look at her," Chase said, furrowing his eyebrows, "But I can say for sure that she wasn't a baby."

"Hmm… that's weird," Cameron muttered, spotting House in a secluded corner, hunched over a clipboard. "Look, there he is."

'

House looked up just in time to see two of his employees coming towards him. Cursing, he tried to hide behind the clipboard that held precariously in his hands, but it was no use. They had found him. He found himself at a loss for words as Cameron and Chase stood around him, looking at him with imploring eyes.

"Can't… Can't…" House started, gathering his bearings, "Can't a guy find a place to hide without being sought out?" He finished feebly.

"House," Chase said, trying to find the right words to express all the questions he wanted to ask. "I thought you went home…"

"Fooled you, didn't I?" Despite himself, he found himself slipping into his welcoming, sarcastic persona that always managed to get him through the hard times.

"Well, um… I guess you did," Cameron replied, slightly startled. "What's that you're holding?"

House looked down at the clipboard that he was now holding so tightly, he thought for sure it would snap in half any second. Loosening his grip slightly, he looked up. He had no idea what to say, or how to explain what was happening. It was all so complicated that is head swam.

"It's a… it's a consent form," House said, thinking fast. It wasn't a complete lie; there was a form in the packet of information that said House gave his permission for Katie to be treated. "It's for another patient…uh… one that I haven't told you about. In fact, I'll go give this to him now. Okay, Bye. " House stood up from his chair, disappearing through the doors where Katie lay, leaving Cameron and Chase staring at each other, dumfounded.

"Dr. House!" Dr. Johnson exclaimed as House walked toward Katie. "Katie's ready for transportation. Do you have your forms?"

"Here you go." House unceremoniously pushed the clipboard into Dr. Johnson's chest, and headed towards Katie.

House cringed when he saw that she was still unconscious, but the heart monitor told him that him that her heart rate had decreased drastically. It was now about 70 beats per minute, a perfect number.

"What's her temperature?" House asked the nearest nurse.

"It's 102.2," She replied briskly, not missing a beat.

Again, House's head swam, this time in relief. Now all she had to do was wake up. Once she did, they could figure out infection she had. Once they did that, she would be better in no time.

"Oooh," came a moan. House spun around so fast he got a crick in his neck. Katie was coming to, stirring slightly in her bed. In an instant, House was at her side.

"How do you feel?" He asked as soon as Katie had opened her eyes.

She moaned once more before answering. "My throat hurts," She whispered hoarsely.

House smiled at this, closing his eyes and silently cheering. She would be all right. He wouldn't be surprised if he were allowed to take her home as soon as the next day.

"Oh, good, she's up," Dr. Johnson said as walked toward the two. "Katie, do you think you can sit in a wheelchair?"

"Yeah," Katie whispered while House went to her side to help her up. While he lifted her into the wheelchair that a nurse had just wheeled in, House noticed for the first time that someone had taken Katie's khaki shorts and pink tank top off and replaced it with a grayish blue hospital gown.

"I'll wheel her to her room, if you don't mind," House said curtly as he took the blanket off the bed and draped over Katie's lap.

"No, don't mind at all," replied Dr. Johnson nonchalantly. "I'm afraid that I have another patient, so just follow this nurse to the room, okay?'

House didn't say anything. Instead, he just gave Dr. Johnson an ice-cold look that sent the poor ER physician running toward his car crash victim.

'

"So, that was interesting," Chase remarked. The two doctors were once again back in the conference room, reminiscing over the encounter that they had just shared with their boss.

"I'd say," Cameron snorted into her coffee. "What do you think that whole thing was about?"

"I—," Chase started, but he stopped when, through the glass walls, he spotted House, wheeling a young girl through the corridors. Chase watched, mouth hanging slightly open as House made an abrupt right turn into a room. "I think," Chase continued, "that we might have a new case."

The words were hardly out of Chase's mouth when he saw House exit the room, making his way towards the conference room.

"Where's Foreman?" House asked, looking around the room.

"He went home for the night," Chase replied, his mouth still agape.

"Good for him!" House remarked, sitting down in a chair and resting his bad leg on the table. "Cameron, make coffee. We have a new case."

In an instant, Cameron was over by the counter, measuring pre-ground coffee beans into the coffee maker. Once she had once again taken her seat, House stood up and began to make his way toward his white board.

"We have a girl," House began, "a perfectly normal thirteen-year-old girl who has a high temperature and so many bruises, we can almost assume she's been hit by a train."

"An infection," Chase said absentmindedly "fits perfect."

"Yes," said House, scrutinizing, "But what infection could it be?"

"It could be anything," Cameron said slowly, looking at the others. "Have you questioned the patient yet?"

"No, not yet," House admitted.

"Cameron and I'll go do it," Chase volunteered as he stood up, Cameron by his side. H wanted to catch a glimpse of this girl that was talking about. Could this possibly be House's daughter

"No!" House said stronger than he had intended to. "I'll go do it. Knowing you two, you'll screw it up anyway."

The two younger doctors threw each other curious looks as House left the room.

'

"Hey," House said to Katie as he entered the room. "Have you been drinking any unclean water or eating any raw meat?"

"No," Katie said quietly, shaking her head.

"Look!" House exclaimed, just slightly frustrated. He was no longer being a father; he had switched fully into demonic-doctor mode, "I'm trying to make you better here, but I can't do that if you don't tell me the truth."

"I'm telling the truth," Katie whispered her eyes wide as if she were on the verge of tears. "Test me for strepp throat."

"Strepp throat wouldn't make you this sick so fast," House said, shouting slightly.

"Well, it makes since. I was playing my clarinet today on a reed that I played on when I had strepp throat last time I had it."

"Wait!" House said, raising a hand. "When was the last time you had strepp throat?"

"About four weeks ago."

"Did you take all of your antibiotics?"

"Yes, of course. I always do. Look, just test me for it, okay? It takes, like what? Five minutes."

House hated being told what to do, but Katie was right. Ruling out strepp throat would make it possible to move on to other possible infections.

"All right," House said, taking a cotton swab from one of the cabinets. "Open up."

Katie opened up and the first thing he saw were red and white patches on swollen tonsils. He shook his head, reminding himself that a lot of infections caused the same symptoms. Carefully, he swabbed the inflamed throat, making Katie gag briefly.

"I'll be back in five minutes," House said as he left the room. Quickly, he walked down to the lab. Testing it himself, House's eyes widened as he realized Katie was right.

She did have strepp throat.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12:

"So," House said as he paced the conference room, cane thudding rhythmically on the floor. "A girl, a perfectly healthy thirteen-year-old comes down with an intense case of strep throat only three hours after being exposed to the infection. Any suggestions as to why?"

"House!" Chase moaned as he stirred his fifth cup of coffee, "It's nearly midnight. You said yourself, the patient's stable. Can't we go home and start fresh in the morning?"

"NO!" House shouted a bit more forcefully than he had intended to. "The patient's stable for now, but how long will that last? We have to figure this out!"

"Um…" Cameron said, closing her eyes, "Advanced HIV?"

"She's thirteen!" Chase exclaimed tiredly. "She wouldn't have time to have contracted the disease. If she were born with it, her parents would have known. That can't be it." As Chase made reference to the girl's parents, he eyed House imploringly, as if he expected the older doctor to admit that Katie was his daughter.

"Chase is right. HIV can't be it." _She can't have been born with it. If she was, then I would have it too_ House told himself, trying to calm himself down. "Any other suggestions?"

"Has she had a transplant?" Chase asked. "If she had, then she would be on immunosuppressants."

"What part of 'perfectly healthy' don't you understand," growled House, pounding his cane a bit more vehemently, annoyed at the incompetence of his team.

"Hmmm…" Cameron thought out loud, biting a hangnail off of her left thumb. "Leukemia?"

House's heart stopped as he heard the word 'leukemia'. It was a diagnosis that had been floating in the back of his mind ever since Katie had passed out at the diner. It was also a diagnosis that he didn't want to be made.

"You're right, Chase," House said, sitting down heavily. "It is late. Why don't you guys go home and get some sleep. Be back here at seven, okay?"

"Seven!" Chase exclaimed. "That's an hour before we're usually here!" As the words exited his mouth, Cameron gave him a look, warning him to stop before House changed his mind about them going home for the night.

"We'll be here at seven," Cameron said, standing up and exiting the room, Chase following in her wake, but not before giving House a dangerous look.

As soon as the other doctors were out of the room and safely in the elevator, House quickly got up, heading towards Katie's room. As he entered, she was sleeping, curled up under the covers. For a moment, House just stared at her, basking in her innocence. Remembering why he was there, House took the syringe from his pocket, and slid the needle gingerly into her arm. He wasn't surprised when Katie didn't wake up or even stir as he drew her blood for the test. Once the syringe was filled with the dark, red substance, House quietly exited the room, heading towards the lab.

House took a slide of Katie's blood, studying it under a microscope. He saw, as should be for any person with an infection, an increased number of white blood cells. He looked closer at the white blood cells, noticing that they looked smaller than normal ones. They were also malformed. House felt as though a bullfrog was hopping around in his stomach as he knew what that meant.

Katie had leukemia.

House wandered into Katie's room on his way to his office. He stared at her small form, wondering how much longer she would be alive. House figured by the onset of her illness and the exact shape of the white blood cells that Katie had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. It was one of the most common cancers that children got. It also happened be one of the most deadly. He didn't go into her room. Instead, he just stood in the doorway, thinking of all that would have to be done. He didn't want to admit it, but Katie would have to be transferred to the cancer ward where Wilson would treat her.

House left the room, planning on going to his office. As he was about to open the door to it, he remembered that he never treated Katie for her strep throat. He sidestepped his office, going down to the pharmacy. He asked for a Clindamycin drip that would be given to Katie through an IV. Once again, he was back in Katie's room. He chose the same arm that he had taken the blood from. As gently as he could, he cleaned the spot with alcohol and then pushed the needle in. This time, Katie moaned a little bit, but she did not wake up. With that taken care of, House returned to his office.

House did not believe he would be able to sleep as he sank into his couch. But it was late, and he had woken up early that morning. Closing his eyes, House drifted into a restful, dreamless sleep, probably the last relaxing sleep he would have in a long time.

'

"That's really interesting," Foreman remarked to Cameron and Chase as they walked up to the diagnostics department together. Chase and Cameron had just filled Foreman on what had had happened the previous night. "I'm just glad you called me. It would be pretty bad if I showed up an hour late." Foreman was referring to the phone call from Cameron he had received at one in the morning telling him that House wanted them in by seven. Truthfully, he would have liked to have gotten an hour's more sleep, but this way he could be able to avoid House's bashing that he would have been inevitable.

"Now, that's interesting," Cameron sniggered as they walked past House's office, where he was fast asleep.

"I'll go wake him up," Chase sighed, starting towards the office.

"No!" Cameron laughed slightly. "Please don't go! What if something bad happens to you?"

"Yeah," Foreman guffawed, "What if he fires you for disrupting his beauty sleep?"

"I think I'll risk it," Chase said as he walked into the office.

The other two watched as Chase called out House's name. When that didn't work, Chase took a hand and started to gently shake House awake. Cameron and Foreman nearly fell down in laughter as House outstretched a hand and smacked Chase's arm, obviously annoyed. As fast as he could, Chase ran towards the door, not stopping until he was safely outside the office.

"Well, that didn't work out as nearly as well as I thought it would," Chase frowned, rubbing his smarting arm.

"At least he's up," Foreman pointed out as they all watch House roll off the couch.

"Yes, but I think he's angry," Cameron said as they saw House coming towards the door. "RUN!"

The three doctors ran, but they had no need to. As soon as House exited his office, he set off down the corridor, and entered the room that Cameron and Chase recognized as their new patient's space.

"I think we should follow him," Suggested Foreman to the agreement of the other two.

The three set down the hallway after House. At the door they saw him turn into, the paused, afraid to go in any further. The seen in front of them was something they had never seen before. House was sitting in the chair by the bed, holding the hand of a sleeping girl. Despite the fact they were seeing her from a distance, the doctors could tell that she looked a lot like House, especially the wavy, brown hair.

"What are you guys doing here?" House asked, looking up, his voice filled with vehemence. "Go back to the conference room. I'll be there in a minute."

The team looked distraught. They had seen House frustrated, high, flustered, happy, and sad. But they had never seen him angry before. Usually, he was in control of his emotions. This, though, he wasn't. And it was scary. The shock of his outburst sent the doctors running. It also woke Katie up.

"What…" Katie muttered as she woke up. She stared around at the hospital room, remembering the events from the previous night.

"How are you feeling?" House asked, a grim smile spread on his thin lips.

"I'm feeling better than yesterday, but not my best," She replied, grimacing at her sore throat. "I'm feeling well enough to go home."

"Well…" House drifted off, refilling Katie's Clindamycin drip. "You still have one more IV drip to go through before you're completely healed."

Katie nodded thoughtfully. "Then I can go home?" She asked eagerly.

"Well…" House started, not sure what to say. "No, you can't go home."

"Why?"

"You see… um…" It was a lot harder than House thought. If Katie had been a regular patient, he would just go in, tell them, and then leave. But she wasn't a normal patient. This was his _daughter_. "When healthy people get an infection like strep throat, they get mildly sick," House stated, looking Katie in the eye. "They have a fever and they feel bad for a few days. They go to doctor and the doctor gives them medicine. And they're better in a few days."

"But I'm not healthy, am I?" Katie whispered.

"Um… no, you're not," House replied, startled that Katie would say that. "This infection nearly killed you. If I hadn't got you to a hospital, then you be dead. That means you have a weakened immune system, a severely weakened immune system. I wanted to know why, so I took a sample of your blood and looked at it under a microscope." House paused, not sure if he should go on.

"What did you find?" Katie asked as House took her hands in his.

"I found out that you have a disease called Leukemia." There, it was out, finally out! House looked to Katie expecting her to find her crying. But she wasn't. Instead, she was just nodding her head.

"I thought so," Katie whispered. "I have ALL, don't I?

"Yes, you do," House replied, nonplussed. "How did you know?"

Katie sighed, closing her eyes. "It's kind of a long story," She admitted, looking at House.

"I… I have time," said House, thoroughly curious.

"Okay… here it goes… When my mom was pregnant with me, she was walking down an icy sidewalk," Katie began, "She slipped and fell on her leg. She thought it was broken, so she went to the hospital." Katie paused for a moment, looking at House. He didn't say anything, just stared at Katie with interested eyes. "Anyway, since she was only in her first few months of pregnancy, she didn't even know she was pregnant yet."

"Wait!" House held up a hand. "I took her to the hospital. We were walking down the street, going to one of our favorite pizza places…I took her to the hospital… She was x-rayed, wasn't she?" House asked, his eyes wide with terror.

Katie nodded. "My twin brother developed ALL when he was—,"

"WAIT!" House held up another hand. "You had a twin brother?"

"Yes," Katie nodded.

"Did he… did he die?" He asked, dreading the answer.

"No," Katie said simply not elaborating.

"Then where is he?"

"Like I was saying, my brother developed ALL when he was three. Chemotherapy is really expensive. My mom had a good job and everything, but got fired from it because she missed so much work for Jeffery. We stopped having an income. Mom tried to sue the hospital that gave her the x-ray, but since she signed the form saying she wasn't pregnant, well, it was all her fault."

"So what happened next," House said impatiently, beckoning Katie to continue.

"Mom gave him up for adoption. She had to. If she didn't, Jeffery would have died. When mom married Bryan, my step-dad, when I was seven, she wanted to find Jeffery, but Bryan convinced her not to."

"So," House concluded, "You knew you had ALL because your twin brother did?"

"Yes," Katie nodded. "When the doctor diagnosed Jeffery with Leukemia, he said that it was a high possibility that I would develop it as well. He said that as I got older, though, the chance of me developing would get smaller and smaller. I thought I was out of the woods, but I guess I wasn't."

House leaned back in his chair as Katie finished her story. He had another child, a son, out there. That was a lot to take in. He had enough on his plate with Katie. He didn't need another kid filling it up even more. Curiosity filled him, though, as he thought about the boy named Jeffery. Was he still alive out there or had ALL killed him? When he had a spare minute, he would call Karen Patterson to see if she knew anything about of Katie's twin. In the meantime, though, he sat with Katie, holding her hand, savoring the present, but dreading the future.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 13:

"Where's House?" Wilson asked as he walked into the diagnostics department. He hadn't heard from his odd friend in several days, and wondered if House was all right, although Wilson doubted very much that House's team knew his whereabouts.

"He's with a patient, apparently," Chase replied thickly, reading an article in _Scientific American_.

"House, with a patient!" Wilson exclaimed with a laugh. "Is she a super model, or something?"

"No," Cameron replied absentmindedly, "But we believe she's special, somehow. By any chance, were around the ER last night at about a quarter till nine?"

"No," Wilson countered. "I went home early last night. Why are you asking?"

"I suggest you go ask House," Foreman said over a cup of coffee. "He's in the second patient room to the right."

"All right, thanks," Wilson said politely as he took his leave. He walked into the hallway, and in a few seconds he found himself looking into a scene that made no sense all. House was actually talking to a patient kindly, taking her hands, and looking her in eyes with a look of admiration.

"Um, House?" Wilson cleared his throat.

"What!" House barked, wheeling his head around to look at Wilson. "Oh, Wilson, it's only you. I've been wanting to talk to you."

"Yeah? What about?" Wilson was apprehensive. Whenever House wanted to talk, Wilson usually ended giving up money.

"Well, you see…" House began, learning that saying the word 'leukemia' out loud was very hard. "I just diagnosed my patient here with… with…"

"With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia," Katie finished, looking at Wilson with a curious eye.

"Yeah, what she said." House pointed to Katie. "And, also, Wilson, can you give me a ride?"

"Ummm…" Wilson said with a look that said 'not in front of the patient'.

House obviously picked up on the sign because he said, "Wilson, this is my daughter, Katie. Katie, this is my good friend Wilson, who also happens to be an oncologist."

"Daughter?" Wilson asked, eyeing Katie skeptically. "House, can I talk to you in private?"

"Look, Wilson," House stated rudely. "This is my daughter here. Anything you can say to me, you can say in front of my daughter."

Katie felt her heart swell with pride as she heard her father utter those words. Perhaps he did love her after all…

"No, really…" Wilson drifted off uncomfortably.

"Fine!" House stood up, dramatically reaching for his cane. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he whispered to Katie as he walked into the hallway with Wilson.

For a moment, the two men stared at each other. House wore a stoic expression, his emotions hidden behind his cool iciness. Wilson, on the other hand, wore one of hurt and betrayal.

"You… you have a daughter and you didn't tell me?" Wilson asked in an unsteady voice.

"It's not like that," House started, but Wilson interrupted him.

"It's not like what? That girl has to be at least ten years old. You've been keeping me from knowing about her for all those years? House, I thought we were friends."

"We are friends." House tried to make Wilson understand, to talk to him, but it was too late. Wilson had turned around, making his way back in the room to examine Katie.

"Hey, Katie," Wilson said gently, "I'll be your doctor now."

Katie nodded solemnly, looking towards House who was still in the doorway.

"It's not his fault, you know," Katie said softly, avoiding Wilson's gaze.

"What's not his fault?" Wilson asked as he assessed Katie, looking at her arms and legs.

"That you didn't know about me."

"Oh… you heard?"

"No." Katie said, not elaborating.

"Then how did you…?"

"I can read lips. And, by the way, I'm thirteen."

"Oh…well then… I'll get your _father _back in here, and we'll discuss treatment options." Wilson exaggerated the word 'father' as if he really didn't believe that House could have a kid.

"Yeah, I'm coming," muttered House as he entered the room.

"Okay," Wilson said, placing himself at the foot of the bed. "As soon as your infection is all cleared up, we'll start you on chemotherapy. But first, I want to do a spinal tap to support House's diagnoses."

"Do I have to change departments? My… dad said that I would." Katie frowned as she said the word 'dad'. She had never really used the word before, and she wasn't quite sure if it should be applied to House.

"Usually, that's how it works, but since this is your dad's department, I think we can make an exception."

"Katie's infection will be all the way cleared up by this afternoon," House said, checking her antibiotic. "Will we start her on chemotherapy tonight?"

"The sooner the better," Wilson stated, giving a pitying look towards Katie.

'

The team was bored. For two hours, they say there, doing absolutely nothing of importance. Occasionally, one of them would think out loud, pondering what was taking House so long. Besides that, though, it was silent. Cameron did a crossword puzzle with Foreman read a medical Journal while Chase was still studying this month's issue of _Scientific American. _Cameron was about to open her mouth to make some unimportant comment when House burst through the door.

"Why aren't you guys doing anything productive?" House inquired as he made a beeline toward his office. "Chase, go to my clinic hours. Cameron, will you please go help Wilson? I think he's having trouble with our patient. Foreman… why don't you just go home?"

"Wait!" Chase asked, standing up. "How come Foreman gets to go home?"

"Because I like him best," House replied simply as he closed the door to his office. For a moment, everyone sat still. Then, as the shock of his outburst wore off, Chase left closely followed by Cameron. Foreman, however, stayed where he was, once again picking up his medical journal.

House thought that he would be angry with Foreman for not complying with his orders, but, surprisingly, House felt totally unaffected. Shrugging, he picked up his cell phone, dialing Karen's number.

"Hello, Karen Patterson," The familiar female voice said after only one ring.

"Karen, yeah, it's Dr. House."

"Oh… Dr. House… is there something wrong?" Karen asked, House noticing that her voice held apprehension.

"Yeah," House said, "Katie has Leukemia."

"Oh my god," Karen whispered. "I'm really sorry to here that. Um…" She drifted off, not sure what to say or why House was calling. "If there's anything I can do to help…"

"Actually, you can help." House paused, choosing his words carefully.

"Yes, what is it?" Karen asked, not really wanting to know what it was. "I don't want you to send Katie back, if that's what you want. But if you really want to, I can't stop you. A sick child can very stressful upon a parent."

"I don't want to send Katie back," House barked back, appalled and insulted that Karen would suggest such a thing. "I'm calling about Katie's twin brother, Jeffery House."

"Jeffery House?" There was obvious question her voice as Karen repeated the name. "I don't anything about a Jeffery House. Are you sure Katie has a twin brother?"

"I'm only going by what she told me," House replied, hoping that Katie wasn't lying. He had only gotten used to the idea of having a son. "Can you look into it for me?"

"Well…" Karen drifted off, "I'm not really supposed to, but since Katie's sick, I guess if there really is a twin out there, he has a right to know about his sister's illness."

"Yes," House agreed. "And if Jeffery's blood matches up to Katie, then we can do a bone marrow transplant if she doesn't respond well to treatment."

"Yes, well, I'll get right on that, then Dr. House and I really do hope that Katie's all right."

"Right. Thank you, Karen." With that, House hung up the phone.

Looking out into the conference room, House realized that Foreman had left. He shrugged, not really caring if the doctor had stayed or went. He walked into the hallway, his intention to go the cafeteria to get a bite to eat. He was on his way to the elevator when he heard a deep, bone chilling, pain-induced scream. He almost ignored it. After all, it was a hospital. But as he listened more carefully, he realized where it was coming from.

It was coming from Katie's room.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 14

Ever since his infarction, House had a hard time moving really fast. But as Katie's anguished screams penetrated his ears, he ran with inhuman speed, cane bouncing up and down as he did so.

"What's wrong?" House said in a flurry, examining Katie, realizing that she wasn't alone in the room. In addition to the sick girl there was Dr. Wilson, giving Katie a spinal tap, Cameron, who was helping, and Foreman, who was ready in case something went wrong.

"Oh, hi," Wilson said as he removed a long needle from the small of Katie's back. "I was just giving Katie a spinal tap." He paused for a moment, handing a small bottle of cloudy liquid to Foreman, who left in a hurry to biopsy it. "I guess we didn't get enough anesthesia."

House went over to Katie, who was on her side, tears of pain rolling down her cheek.

"It's okay," House whispered as he went to inspect Katie's back to make sure Wilson didn't screw something major up. Already, there was a large, fist-size bruise forming. "Shhh… it's all over." House consoled, making sure she was properly covered with her blanket.

Wilson and Cameron stood back, their jaws dropped in awe as they saw this demonstration of affection coming from the most cold-hearted person they knew.

"As soon as Foreman confirms your diagnoses," Wilson started breaking the father daughter moment up, "We'll start her on chemotherapy. Her infection should be cleared up by then."

House nodded as he stood up, smoothing out his shirt as if nothing had happened. Then, with sudden realization, as he looked at his smelly shirt, House became conscious of the fact that he hadn't been home since the previous night, and hadn't been properly showered in at least two days.

"Wilson?" House asked. "Will you give me a ride?"

"Well, to tell you the truth," Wilson began, "I'm kind of busy. I have an appointment in fifteen minutes." Seeing the look on House's face, Wilson quickly added, "But since none of your team is busy, why don't you ask one of them for a ride?"

House contemplated this idea for a few moments. There would be a lot of awkward questions he would be asked regarding Katie, but he really did smell.

"Cameron?" House asked. "Can you give me a ride?"

Cameron's heart swelled at the idea of being alone with House. There were so many questions that she wanted to ask, especially the one about Katie's mother. Were House and that woman… who was that person who called asking for House? Chase said her name was Karen… Were House and Karen still together?

"Yeah, sure," Cameron replied smoothly, giving no hint to how she actually felt. "Let me just get my keys."

House watched her disappear through the door only to return a few moments later with a purse in one hand a ring filled with keys and key chains in the other.

"Okay, let's go," Cameron said, carefully containing her enthusiasm.

Again, Cameron disappeared through the door, House following her. As the two stepped in the elevator, it took all of Cameron's self control to keep herself from barraging House with questions. She had a strong hunch if she did that, the House would get a ride from someone else.

As soon as the two were settled in the car, and once they were on the road, Cameron started with the interrogating, subtly at first.

"So…" Cameron started, "Katie's your daughter?"

"Yep," House replied, not going into detail. He knew exactly what Cameron was playing at, and he didn't want to humor her.

"So… you and her mother… how's your relationship?" Cameron held her breath, awaiting the answer with patient dread.

"We don't have much of one, considering she's dead," House replied simply, staring straight ahead.

"Oh!" Cameron exclaimed. How could she be dead? Chase just talked to her on the phone. "I'm sorry… I didn't know."

"It's all right, considering I hadn't talked to her in fourteen years."

"I'm just…confused," Cameron said, risking the question on her mind. "She just called the other day."

"WHAT!" House cried out. "That's not possible… what did she say?"

"I'm not sure. Chase was the one who answered the phone, but it went something like this 'Hi, I'm Karen Patterson—,'" Cameron was cut off as she heard House's guffaws.

"Karen Patterson is not Katie's mother," House chuckled lightly, although he didn't feel much like laughing. "That's her social worker who handled her case."

"Oh," Cameron said in a small voice, realization dawning upon her. "Okay…"

Except for the occasional directions from House, the two spent the rest of the trip in silence, which really wasn't that far because the diner where House's car was still parked was only a few miles from the hospital.

"Thanks," House said as he opened the door of the car. "I'll be back at work in a few hours." With that, he slammed the door shut, limping off towards his car, extracting the keys from his pocket. He relaxed slightly once he was behind the wheel, but he didn't feel completely tranquil until he was once again in his apartment. Looking around, the only clues that Katie had ever been there were the duffel bag and backpack shoved neatly in a corner. How easy it would be for House to go to sleep, to think that Katie was just one big nightmare…

He shook his head as he headed for a shower. He wasn't too bad, although he desperately needed a toothbrush and a shave.

After House was showered, dressed, and shaved, he sauntered off to the corner where Katie's duffle bag and backpack lay. Perhaps she would feel more comfortable if she had some things to remind of her of home. Opening her duffel bag, he saw that it was mostly clothes, although there were a few pairs of shoes, a hairbrush, and hair barrettes. There was nothing in there that House thought would be comforting to Katie. Closing the duffel up, he turned to the backpack, where he realized he had struck gold. There were stuffed animals, and photographs, and books, and a small, porcelain ballerina that was wrapped carefully in tissue paper. He shoved a few changes of clothes in the backpack, zipped it up, flung it over his shoulder, and he was ready to leave again in a matter of minutes.

The ride back to the hospital was swift and unexciting. In no time, House was limping down the hallway to Katie's room. Upon his arrival into the room, he saw that Cameron was there, watching over Katie. They were engaged in a quiet conversation, one that made Katie laugh every once in a while.

"Hey," House said, both of the girls looking up to see him bearing Katie's backpack. "I brought your backpack."

He walked over to the bed, setting the bag down on the floor.

"Don't touch it yet," House instructed as he walked towards the door. "I'm going to get some disinfecting spray."

As her father left, Katie turned a curious eye on Cameron.

"Why does he have to get disinfecting spray?" She asked.

"You see," Cameron started. "You have a weakened immune system due to your leukemia. A simple infection that would hardly make me sick could kill you."

"Oh," Katie gulped, eyeing the backpack with a scared expression on her face.

"But," Cameron continued, seeing how distressed Katie looked, "If we disinfect everything before you touch it, then you can't get an infection, can you?"

"I guess not," Katie said, slightly relieved.

House walked through the door at the precise moment as Katie uttered those words.

"Okay, let's get going," He said, walking up to the backpack. He opened it up and starting extracting items. The fragile things, like the porcelain ballerina and the pictures, were on top. He started with the framed photographs. Mostly they were pictures of Katie and her friends, but some of them were of Jenny. He paused at one, obviously taken last New Year's Eve for Jenny was wearing a hat that said "2007". She was smiling broadly, like someone had just told a funny joke. Of course, she had aged since House had last seen her, but that didn't make her less beautiful. If anything, the laugh lines and the wrinkles around her eyes made her look all the more stunning. Smiling slightly, House sprayed it the disinfectant and placed it on the top of the dresser.

The next picture he took out showed two children. He guessed that they were about five years old. One was a little girl. She was wearing a blue sundress with her arm around a boy. He was wearing a pair of denim shorts, a brown polo shirt, and hat that covered what House knew was a baldhead. Both of them were seated at the head of a long table, a cake that bore six candles placed in front of them.

"That was at our sixth birthday party," Katie said as she saw House study the picture. "Two weeks later, mom handed him over to the foster care system. We visited him a couple times after that, but not very often. One day, mom went to see him, and the people there informed us that he had been transferred to another hospital." Katie shrugged as she relayed this bit of information.

"Katie," House said as she sprayed the picture and set it down, "I talked to Karen about Jeffery."

"What did she say?" Katie bolted up right in her bed, her eyes wide with curious excitement.

"She said that she would look into it."

"You don't know how cool it would be to see Jeffery again," Katie sighed as she once again leaned back in her bed. "I haven't seen him in a very long time."

The words were hardly out of her mouth when House's telephone rang. Checking the caller ID, he realized that it was Karen.

"Excuse me for a moment," House said as he exited the room for the hallway. "Yes?" He asked as he answered the phone.

"Dr. House?" Karen asked. "Yes, it's Karen. I've found some information on Jeffery House."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 15

House felt his heart stop. This was it. This was where he would find out if Jeffery was all right or not.

"Yes," He asked eagerly, "What did you find?"

"The Jeffery House I found on record," Karen started, "Has the same birth date as Katie, the same mother as Katie, and the same father as Katie. There is everything here that says Katie isn't lying… but…" She drifted off.

"What?" House implored. "If all the other information matches up, why is there even a question?"

"I just don't understand," Karen said at first with a question, then with a laugh, "why his mother would put Jeffery up for adoption. Sorry, I'm just confused."

"So where is he?" House chose not to answer the question. He didn't feel like it, first of all. And second of, it wasn't any of her business.

"Well…um…" Karen started awkwardly, "The last entry on his record was when Jeffery was about nine years old. He was moved from Boston to Philadelphia because, it says, 'The children's hospital in Philadelphia is better equipped to handle the services Jeffery needs than the hospital in Boston'."

"I see," House muttered. "Is he still there?"

"I assume. If he… perished… there would be an entry saying he did so, I'm sure of it."

"Perished?" House asked fearfully.

"Oh, don't worry," Karen consoled, "I would know if he had. It would say so on his file. Surely, it would. Would you like to contact his foster parents? I have their phone number on the file."

"Yes," House growled, no longer in a good mood. "What is it?"

'

A few moments later, after hanging up the phone, House returned to Katie's room. Cameron had finished disinfecting her things, and Katie was now reading a Harry Potter book.

"I found out where Jeffery is," House said, walking towards Katie's bed.

"Where is he?" She put her book down, closing it without even marking her page.

"He's in Philadelphia."

"So, are you going to find him?"

"Find who?" Cameron asked, looking from House to Katie, speaking up for the first time.

"My brother, of course!" Katie exclaimed with delight.

"Brother?" Cameron asked with obvious confusion and curiosity.

"My twin brother," Katie explained. "It's a long story. So, are you going to go get him, or something?"

"Sure." House smiled at Katie's obvious delight. "I want to meet him myself."

"Can I come?"

House smile dropped off his face as he said, "Katie, you're sick. You have to stay in the hospital."

"Yeah, I guess." Her spirits dampened, but only slightly. "So when are you going to leave to get him?"

"I don't know," House said as he looked at his watch. "It's kind of late right now. I guess I'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."

Katie, nodded, opening her book back. She tried to read it, but it was useless. She couldn't concentrate. How could she? So much had happened to her in such little time. And now, with the prospect of seeing her brother again, she was so excited, sitting still wouldn't have even been an option if she had been feeling better. In addition to her excitement, Katie was also very scared. She remembered when Jeffery started chemotherapy. He threw up all the time, he lost all his hair, and he never wanted to play. Would that happen to Katie? Would she lose all her hair? She was mournful as she touched her hair. She had been growing it out, and she could almost sit on it, it was so long. She wanted to cry, but not when people were looking. Both House and Cameron were still in the room.

"Can I," Katie started, clearing her throat a little, "Can I be alone for a few minutes, please?"

"Is something wrong?" Cameron asked as she stood up. "Are you feeling all right?"

_Of course I'm not feeling all right. I was just diagnosed with leukemia _Katie wanted to shout. But instead, she managed a pained smile and said, "I'm feeling okay. I would just like to be alone for a little while."

"Okay," Cameron said as she returned the smile. The two doctors left the room, leaving Katie all alone. At first, she felt relieved. It was the first time she was all-alone all day. But then, she felt sad, sadder than she had ever felt in her entire life. All that had happened to her in the best two weeks caught up with her, and with an anguished yelp, Katie cried all her troubles away.

Unbeknownst to her, many miles away, Katie's twin, Jeffery, was crying as well, although for different reasons. Leukemia was something he had lived with most of his life, and when people gave him spinal taps and prodded his body in unceremonious ways, it was just life, something he had long since gotten used to. What he hadn't gotten used to, though, and didn't think he ever would, was the utter lonely feeling that was always penetrating through his body. Ever since he was six, when his mother gave him up, he was alone in a hospital room somewhere. Once, he had gone into remission and went to live with a nice foster family in Boston. But it didn't last. When he was nine, only a year after the doctors said he was good to go, he relapsed. The family couldn't deal with a sick child. They called social services, and in a week's time, he was shipped to Philadelphia's Children's Hospital.

He pounded his pillow as tears rolled down his cheek. He wanted his life to end. For ten years, he had been sick. He wanted to get better, or to die, not to float in the limbo of leukemia.

"Jeffery, how are you feeling today?" a nurse asked as she walked into the room.

Jeffery gave her a death glare, and buried his face in his pillow.

"I see you aren't feeling well. This should make you feel good as new." The nurse cheerfully handed Jeffery a plastic cup filled with pills. They were pain relievers that worked, but they also sent Jeffery fast asleep.

"I don't want them," He said gruffly, his voice steady in spite of them tears that were flowing freely down his face.

"Come on, Jeff, it'll make you feel better." The nurse always felt sorry for Jeffery. He never got any visitors, even on holidays. She understood how angry he was, but sometimes it was frustrating when it came to giving him his meds.

"I said that I don't want them." His voice was so forceful; it made the nurse jump a little bit.

The nurse sighed, setting the pills down on the nightstand, checking Jeffery's IV.

"I see you're almost done with your chemotherapy for the day," she said optimistically. "Are you hungry? I'll go bring you your lunch."

She left the room for a moment, and returned with a tray that was filled with jello, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a piece of meat that came from an undecided animal.

"Why don't you take your pills with lunch?" The nurse set the tray in front of Jeffery, reaching for his meds. "Come on, Jeff. You have to take them."

Grudgingly, Jeffery took the pills and swallowed them all in one gulp without any water.

"See, was the so hard? Now, eat your lunch."

"No," he spat. "My stomach hurts. And I know how much you hate cleaning up vomit."

"I don't mind," she sighed. "Come on, just one bight?"

"Can you just leave me alone?" He shouted, turning away from her. "Just go! I just want to be alone."

The nurse noted the tears on his face, and the way he contorted his body to the bed. She wanted to hug him, to let him know it was all right. But instead, she just left, giving Jeffery one last glance as she closed the door behind her.

As soon as she was gone, Jeffery turned to his tray of food. Despite the pain in his stomach, he was kind of hungry. He looked at the food, scooping up a bite of jello with his spoon. He brought it to his mouth, chewed, and just before he was about to swallow, he leaned over the edge of his bed and vomited all over the floor.

"Please, God!" Jeffery cried under his breath between heaves, "Just rescue me from this place, please!"

In twenty-four hours time, Jeffery would be rescued, but not like he had been thinking.

**Thanks for reading. I hope you've all had a good Independence Day. **


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 16:

House looked at the slip of paper in his hand before glancing at the house in front of him. He rang the doorbell as he concluded that he had indeed found the right address. For a few agonizing seconds, House waited impatiently on the doorstep. He had telephoned Jeffrey's foster parents, but no one picked up. Instead, he talked to the machine, telling them that he would be arriving at their home the next day. Karen provided the address, and House prayed that it was the correct one.

House tensed as he heard the ominous, unmistakable sound of heels clucking on tiles through the closed door. Anxiety almost overwhelmed him as the door clicked opened, revealing an elderly woman, clad in a maroon dress.

"Frank!" The woman called over her shoulder, "It's the people from the insurance place."

"Tell 'em we don't want any," Came a grumbled response from the other room.

"Sorry, we don't want any." The woman went to close the door, but House threw his cane between the door and the frame just as it was about to swing shut.

"I'm not selling anything," House said as pleasantly as he knew how.

"Oh, all right then." The woman opened the door and smoothed out her horrid maroon dress. "How can I help you, then?"

"I'm here about my son," House started. "His name's Jeffery Hou—." House was cut off as the woman shrieked, throwing her hands in the air.

"We," she said rigidly, "don't talk about that boy in this house."

"Um…why?" House was beginning to feel a little apprehensive. Did Jeffery get into trouble?

"I'm sorry… what did you say your name was?"

"Gregory House…"

"I'm sorry, Mr. House. Would you please come in?" The woman opened the door wide so House could step through. "My name's Mary Reeds, by the way."

House stepped through the threshold, looking around the house. It was pleasant, if not a little stuffy. In the living room, there sat a man, Mr. Reeds, House assumed, who was seated in a fluffy arm chair, glued to the television set.

"Frank," Mary chided as she walked towards her husband, "We have company."

"What!" Frank looked up at House, and gave a little snort. "What'd you invite him in for, Mary? Have you lost your mind? Now we'll never get rid of 'im."

"Sorry," Mary apologized to House before turning to her husband. "Frank, where are your manners? This is Jeffery's father."

"What!" Frank turned in his seat to get a good look at House. "My God, it is, isn't it? They sure look enough alike." Frank flipped the TV off and looked House square in the eye. "I have a question for ya. If you're Jeff's dad, why aren't you takin' care of him?"

"Taking care of a child," House said, trying to keep his voice even and not sarcastic, "is extremely difficult when you don't know they exist."

"I don't believe that," mumbled Frank, "I just don't think anyone wanted to take care of that kid. He's unbearable."

"Frank!" Mary said crossly, "Don't scare him away. Mr. House, would like something to drink?" She added cheerfully. "We've got coffee and tea."

"Coffee, thanks," House said as he stood awkwardly next to Frank.

"Mr. House, have a seat on the sofa. I'll be right out with your coffee." Mary disappeared through a door that House knew must have been the kitchen.

Frank and House didn't talk again until Mary returned moments with a tray lade with three cups filled with steaming coffee, a creamer, and a sugar bowl. She set the tray on the coffee table, inviting House to take a cup.

"I like mine black, thanks," House said as Mary offered him cream and sugar.

Mary took a seat opposite House, carefully sipping her coffee. For a few moments, nobody said anything. Then, carefully, Mary started to tell the story.

"Frank and I couldn't have children," Mary started hesitantly, "We applied for a foster child some years ago. We thought our prayers had been answered when we got a call saying we had a child, a boy, Jeffery, to take care of." She smiled softly as she reminisced. "They said he was sick, but we didn't care. We were just so happy. But he was a handful. We were always going to he hospital to see him. And he was always throwing some sort of fit. And thing was, we didn't know what he wanted. We got him toys, but he wouldn't play with them. When we were allowed to take him home from the hospital, he would keep us up all night with his demands. It was… terrible. We're… glad to be rid of him."

"You mean, you're not his foster parents anymore?" House asked, starting to get up to leave.

"Well," Mary continued, "Yes, technically, we are. If the doctors want to try some new treatment on him, they ask us permission first, and if he dies, we'd be the ones arranging the funeral. But, in reality, we aren't. We haven't seen him in over a year. We're happy that way, and Jeffery's happy."

"So, Jeffery's at the children's hospital right now?" House asked.

"Yes," Mary nodded.

"Could I go visit him?"

"Yes, you could, but we're not going to visit him with you, I'm sorry to say."

"Thanks for the coffee." House drained his glass and stood up. "I'll show myself out."

House saw the obvious curious looks that Mary and Frank threw each other, but he ignored them. He wanted to get out of that house as quick as possible. Those two people didn't look like they could handle raising a child, and House knew, just knew, that Jeffery wasn't as incorrigible as they made him seem. They would have said that for any child.

House got in his car, and started for the Children's Hospital. He wasn't exactly sure where it was, and after stopping twice for directions, he found himself walking through the front doors of the hospital.

"Excuse me?" House asked the man at the front desk. "I'm look for my son, Jeffery House. He's in the cancer ward."

"Here you go." The man handed House a colored card. On it, the directions to the cancer ward were printed neatly.

"Cute," House remarked, "Wish they had these at my hospital."

With that, House set off, carefully following the directions. After going down several corridors, up one elevator, and half a flight a stairs, House found himself staring at the nurses in charge.

"I'm hear to see Jeffery House," House told one of the more attractive nurses. "Could you tell me where he might be?"

The nurse gave a girlish, excited shriek, turning to the other nurses. "Did you hear that? He's here to see Jeff!" She turned back to House, eyeing him incredulously. "Sorry. We're just excited because Jeffery doesn't get visitors often. In fact, the last time he had one was about a year ago. An elderly couple came and gave him a stuffed bear… they were only here for a few minutes, though… Anyway, his room is right down here, if you'll follow me."

House followed the nurse, trying his hardest to keep his eyes up and not glued on her rear end. After only passing a few doors, the nurse stopped in front of one. She entered it cautiously.

"Jeff, you have a visitor," she called softly.

"Who is it?" Came a barked demand.

"I don't know… let me ask him." The nurse stuck her head back in the hallway. "Who are you?" she whispered.

"Gregory House," House whispered back.

"Are you related to him?" She asked.

"Yes," he shot back, "But he doesn't know it."

The nurse stuck her head back in the room. "Jeff, he says his name is Gregory House."

"I don't know him. Tell him to go away." The voice hesitated before answering, but when it did, it was of full forcefulness and anger.

"Let me through," House sighed.

The nurse nodded, standing to the side to let House pass.

"I'll be at the nurses station, if you need anything," The nurse whispered as she disappeared down the hallway.

Bracing himself, House walked through the door. He was quite relieved to find that his challenger was, as expected, only a little boy. He was small, just as small as Katie, maybe even more petite. From where he was standing, he saw that he was the approximate height and weight of Katie. Again, he bore great resemblance to House with the same blue eyes, the flat, broad chin, and the long face. House supposed he would have brown, wavy hair if it hadn't been for that fact that he had none.

"Who are you?" Spat Jeffery, sitting up in bed. "A clown? You sure look like one."

"Takes one to know one," said House nonchalantly as he chose a seat next to Jeffery's bed.

Jeffery looked stunned for a moment. As he recovered he said, in a calmer voice, "So you're not a clown. Will you tell me who you are? Are you a doctor?"

"Yes." House didn't go into any detail, wanting Jeffery to ask him the questions.

"I haven't seen you around before. Are you new?" Jeffery was calming down now. House could sense this.

"Actually, I don't work. I'm not seeing you as a patient."

House smiled to himself, as he knew exactly what Jeffery was doing. Jeffery thought he was in control of the situation.

"Why are you smiling? And if I'm not your patient, then why are you here?" He was losing his cool for he shouted the last bit.

"My daughter has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia," House replied absentmindedly. "She was just diagnosed a few days ago."

"Yes, that's very nice, but why are you here?"

"I believe you know my daughter," House continued, "Her name's Katie… Katie House."

House saw Jeffery's eyes go wide as he heard that name.

"That's impossible," Jeffery said in a shaky voice. "You… you can't be…"

"Jeffery," House said in a loud, dramatic voice, "I am your father." He glared at the boy in wide, protuberant eyes, a wide, wicked smile on his face.

"Ha ha ha," Jeffery chuckled dryly. "I suppose you've always wanted to reenact a scene from Star Wars.

"Come to think of it, that was pretty cool," House chuckled dryly along with his son. "But it's true. I really am your father."

"But it can't be true," Jeffery whispered, his eyes filling with tears.

"Why can't it?" House asked innocently. "Is there something wrong with having me as a father?"

"Nothing… it took you long enough to come and get me."

"Look, kid, I wasn't aware of your existence until, like, a day ago. I came as quickly as I could."

"I HATE HER!" Jeffery screamed, clutching his pillow until his fingers turned white.

"Who do you hate?" House asked calmly, surveying the boy.

"That… that woman who called herself my mother. I hate her! I want… I want… I want something bad to happen to her!"

"She's dead," House said. "She died a few weeks ago."

Jeffery looked stunned for a few moments. Then he said in a deadly voice, "Good. She deserved it."

"Care to explain?" House noted the tears that were running down his face at that point. He seemed to be a very disturbed individual. House shrugged as that thought floated threw his mind. Father like son.

"She always hated me. Always. She never loved me," Jeffery cried, burring his head in his pillow. "When I was little, I could never do anything right. Katie was perfect, though. Katie never did anything wrong. 'Why can't you be more like Katie' she would say. I'm not Katie. I'm different." Jeffery didn't seem to be talking to House anymore. He was in his own world. "She used to hit me, you know. When I started getting bruises when I was little, she got worried. She almost didn't take me to the hospital. Then, I got such a bad case of the flu that she had to take me in. She thought she was going to be arrested for child abuse. Instead, they told her I had Leukemia.

"She got mad at me, you know, for getting sick. She said that she was going to have to fork over a lot of money to pay for all my expenses. She got mad at me when she lost her job. She said that if it hadn't been for me, she would still have her job. She said that she wished I had never been born. She said she was going to give me up. And, you know what? She did! I asked her if I could go live with someone else, like my father, and she said… she said you died." He let out an anguished cry, tears running freely down his face.

House sat stunned. He had never known that Jenny could do that… she always seemed so perky and nice. But then, House was familiar with postpartum depression. And he did know that a lot of times, mothers could favor one child over another.

"I never knew," House whispered.

"Of course you wouldn't!" howled Jeffery. "You couldn't pull your head out of your butt for one second to realize that you had a son. Of course, you had time for Katie. Everybody has time for Katie."

"Look," House growled. "I just met Katie for the first time a couple weeks ago. She made a point of telling me she had a twin brother the first time she had a chance."

"Really?" He smiled briefly through his tears. "She was the only one who loved me. And then that… that woman took me away from her."

"Katie would like to see you again," House said cautiously, afraid it would throw him off again.

"Really?" His smile became broader. "Is she going to visit me?"

"Well, like I said before, she was just diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. She can't leave her hospital, just like you can't leave yours."

"But how are we ever going to see each other?" Jeffery's tears returned. "I might die. She might die. I just… I just want to see her so badly."

"Did you know that I'm a doctor?" House asked suddenly.

"Yes, you said that."

"I could pull some strings, and I can have you transported to the hospital I work at. You can have a room right across from Katie's."

"Really! I would like that… I really would…" Jeffery's breathing became heavy and strained as his eyes close. Then as all breathing stopped, a long 'ping' sound filled the room. Looking at the heart monitor, House realized, with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, that Jeffery had just flat-lined.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 17:

House didn't think. He just acted. He launched himself over to Jeffery, wrenched the blankets off of him, and began performing CPR. While this act required a great deal of reflex, skill, and bravery, it was not needed. Only seconds after Jeffery flat-lined, several doctors and nurse came running into the room with a defibrillator. House stepped back as a nurse opened Jeffery's shirt. A doctor charged his chest, and in only a few moments, Jeffery's body was rising and falling with his breath while the heart monitor was making a reassuring beeping noise.

"You got him worked up, didn't you?" The same nurse that showed House to Jeffery's room asked.

"No… of course I didn't," House replied heavily.

"We could hear him shouting all the way down the hall." The nurse gave House a wry smile. "Don't worry… you weren't the first one to make him flat-line."

"I wasn't?"

"No, unfortunately not." She shook her head with a sad smile. "His mother came in here a few months ago. She wanted to talk to him. Instead, she made the poor boy cry. We came in here. She was fuming and he was bleeding heavily from a cut on his head and he didn't have a pulse. Once we resuscitated him, we asked him if she hit him. He said she hadn't, that he had hit his head on the frame of his bed. But us nurses have our own theories." She shook her head as she relived the moment. "So, how are you related to Jeffery?"

"I'm his father." He looked to the nurse to see her reaction, and he was very surprised to see that she looked very angry.

"So your Jeffery's father?"

"Um… yeah… that's what I said."

"You… you… you bastard!" The nurse punched House sharply on the chest, turning around on her heal, leaving the room, and leaving House feeling very confused.

Throughout most of his life, House had been described as a bastard. If you wanted to be more detailed, a manipulative bastard, but a bastard nonetheless. Never before in his life, though, had been described such a thing by a person he had not had the chance to insult first.

"Hey!" House called as he followed her out the room and down the hall. "How did you know my nickname?" He chuckled to himself at his cleverness, but it was short lived as a hand connected with his cheek. As he recovered, he realized it was that nurse again, standing before House with a mad, angry expression on her face, her hands planted on her hips.

"Did you know that Jeffery's been sitting in that hospital room for four years?" the nurse asked in a deadly voice. "Do you know how many visitors he's had in that time? Just two. One made him flat-line, and the other only stayed for a few moments."

"So?" House asked as he gingerly touched his smarting face.

"SO!" The nurse shrieked, throwing her hands from her hips and into the air. "You are a capable man. You could have come and visited Jeffery. But did you? No, not once during all those years. Explain yourself, because you must have one hell of an excuse to explicate why you didn't visit your son."

House sighed, glaring at the enraged woman. "I didn't know he existed."

"What?" The nurse asked, her gaze softening. "I don't understand."

"What's not to get? His mother didn't care enough to keep him. Do you think she cared enough to tell me that I had a kid?"

"I guess not," she replied stunned. "I just… I mean… I assumed you knew."

As the words came out of the nurse's mouth, Houses cell phone rang.

"I better get this," House said as he checked the caller ID. It said that it was coming from Princeton-Plainsboro. It could be his team calling, or Cuddy. He almost decided not to answer it, but as he realized that it could be Katie, he flipped it open and began to speak. "Dr. House."

"Oh… hey, it's me," came a soft, girlish voice. House sighed in relief as he realized that it was Katie.

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"I'm… all right. Have you found Jeffery yet?" Her voice was eager, and held anticipation.

"Yes, I have. I'm actually standing outside his room right now."

"Can I talk to him?"

House cringed as Katie said that. As he stole a glance into Jeffery's room, he said, "I would let you, but he's… asleep."

"Oh, okay." The two were silent for a few moments.

"So… er… how's it been with Wilson watching you?" House asked awkwardly.

"All right, I guess… I have… a question to, you know, ask you."

"Sure, what is it?"

"I was just wondering… you know… what I should… call you." Katie said the last few words extra soft so House had to strain his ears to hear her.

"Call me?" House asked expectantly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you see… I've been giving it a lot of thought," Katie started. "I know that all my friends call their fathers 'dad', and I was just wondering if I should… you know… call you… that."

"I…" House started, at a loss for words. He hadn't given it any thought what Katie should call him. Everybody, except for the elite few who called him Greg, called him House. He didn't expect Katie to call him by his last name, considering she had the same one. "What do you want to call me?"

"I'm not sure. That's why I'm asking you… I mean, I would call you dad, but it just… you know… sounds weird."

"Why don't you call me by my first name, Greg," House suggested. "I mean, that is, if you want to."

"I guess that works." Again, there was that awkward silence.

"Hey, I have to go," House said suddenly, "But when Jeffery wakes up, I'll call you so you can talk to him."

"That's sounds great!" Katie's voice was excited as she said this. "I guess I'll talk you later."

"Talk to you later. Bye." House hung the phone up, turning around to stare at the nurse. "So what were you say?"

"I just… I mean… My lunch break is in a few minutes. Do you want to grab a coffee with me in the cafeteria?" She finished feebly, looking at House with a pathetic expression. "My treat."

"Well, since your paying, then definitely," House said.

Fifteen minutes later, House and the nurse, whose name House learned was Emily, where seated at a table in the hospital cafeteria, both of them with a coffee cup in their hands.

"Do you think I could get Jeffery transported to my hospital?" House asked suddenly as he took a sip of coffee.

"I don't know," Emily replied uneasily. "He's not exactly stable. I think it would be safer if he just stayed where he is."

"I think he'd be happier at my hospital," House reasoned.

"And why would you say that?"

"Because that's where he sister is." House looked to Emily whose eyes were opened in surprise.

"I never knew he had a sister," She whispered. "Is she like Jeffery? Does she have ALL?"

"Yeah," House nodded his head. "She was just diagnosed a few days ago."

"Oh, that's horrible," She whispered. "Just horrible."

"Jeffery's worried that he'll never be able to see Katie again. He's worried that one of them might die before they get to see the other," House explain, absentmindedly staring into his cup. "I told him I might be able to pull some strings, and get him transported to my hospital."

"I support your decision, then, if you want Jeffery to be treated at your hospital," She said in agreement. Then, as she lowered her voice she said. "None of us believe Jeffery has much time with us left." She shook her head sadly. "Most kids don't survive this long and are still sick. They usually get better… or die. He's not getting better, so that only leaves on option. I think it'd be good if he got to see his sister before he passed. It'd make him happy."

"I think I'll be getting back to Jeffery's room," House said as he drained his cup, standing up. "I want to be there when he wakes up."

"Yeah, I understand. It was good talking to you, Dr. House."

"Please," House said with a small smile, "Call me Greg."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 18

House sat in Jeffery's room. He was bored, but he was also worried. Jeffery wasn't waking up. Checking his heart monitor, he realized that everything was all right. Sitting back down, he started biting his nails. Surely Jeffery wasn't brain damaged. His heart wasn't beating for only a few moments, not long enough at all to cause trauma to the brain.

"Ooooh," Came a soft moan. In a moment, House was only inches from Jeffery, reaching out to hold his hand.

"How're you feeling?" House whispered.

Jeffery stirred a little, opening his eyes. "Get off of me, you freak," He muttered as he pulled his hand away.

House smiled. "I see you're feeling better."

"Yeah, what's it to you?" Jeffery spat, starting to sit up. "And why are you still here? I passed out, like what? An hour ago."

"Yeah, you're a bright one, aren't you?" House muttered sarcastically as he stood up and began walking around, randomly banging his cane on the floor. "I'm still here," He continued, "Because I'm trying to get you transported to my hospital, you ungrateful son of a—."

"I just talked to Jeffery's doctor," Emily said as she opened the door and walked into the room. "He says that he'll have to talk to the oncologist at Princeton-Plainsboro teaching hospital before anyone can be transported."

House chocked as Emily said that. As far as he knew, Wilson didn't know that House had a second kid, unless Cameron told him. House briefly wondered how Wilson would react…

"I'm sure that oncologist won't object," House replied with only a trace of a chuckle. "Get him prepped for transportation. Do you have an ambulance ready?"

"Yeah, I'm getting it all taken care of. I'll talk to you later." With that, Emily left the room as quickly as she had come, once again leaving Jeffery and House alone together.

"So why are you here again?" Jeffery asked nastily. " You're here to talk to me about my sister, tell me I'm going to see her again. But I'm not, am I? It's just talk, isn't it?"

"Katie called me," House said as if he hadn't heard what Jeffery had said. "Just a little while ago. She said she wanted to talk to you."

"Really?" Jeffery asked. "Can I talk to her now?"

"Sure," House replied, taking his cell phone out and dialing the number. "Let me just get her on the phone."

The phone rang once. Twice. Three times. It was answered on the fourth ring.

"Hello?" Asked a voice, "Dr. Cameron."

"Cameron," House said, "Put Katie on."

"I don't know, House…" Cameron replied, uneasy as she drifted off. "She's not taking chemotherapy well. She spent all of this morning throwing up."

"Just put her on!" hissed House, growing very annoyed. "Jeffery won't cooperate unless he gets to talk to Katie."

"Hmmm," Cameron pondered, sounding very far away, "He won't cooperate… now where have a heard that before? Wait! Nowhere… I deal with it every day with you! I'm not waking Katie up."

"He flat-line," House said suddenly. "Nurse said he might not make it next time." As House said that, he ignored the whimper that Jeffery gave, "The twins might never be able to talk to each other again if you don't put Katie on the phone now!"

"Fine!" Cameron said, finally giving up. "Katie… Katie, wake up. It's Jeffery. He wants to talk to you."

House handed the phone to Jeffery.

"Hello?" Jeffery asked as excitement swelled in his chest. "Katie, are you there?"

"Yeah," came a soft reply. "I'm here."

There were a few moments when neither of them knew what to say. It had been years since they had spoken to each other, and it all seemed so awkward.

"So, what about them Yankees?" Katie asked, and that broke the ice. Both kids were sent in laughs.

House stood back and watched Jeffery talk. House smiled as Jeffery laughed and chuckled at what Katie said.

"Dr. House," a voice called from behind. Turning around, House saw a middle aged man dressed in a lab coat. "I'm Dr. Applegate. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Yeah… when's my son going to be able to transported to my hospital?" House shot back.

"Actually, that's what I'm here to talk to you about. I talked to Dr. Wilson, the oncologist at—."

"Yeah… yeah, I know him… what'd he say?" House growled.

"He said that he'd be expecting Jeffery tonight. The ambulance is waiting downstairs," Said Dr. Applegate, startled at House's outburst. "Get his things together. Came and tell a nurse when you're all set to leave."

"Thanks," House said as the doctor continued to stand there. "You can leave now."

"All right," said Dr. Applegate as he left.

"Okay," House said turning towards Jeffery, "We have to get your things gathered."

"All right," Jeffery shrugged. "You can put everything in that backpack in the corner. It should all fit."

House limped over to the corner, griping the backpack in his hand. He reached over and began taking stuff off of the dresser. There were only three things on top: a stuffed bear, a plastic yoyo, a porcelain figurine in the shape of a baseball player. It was similar to Katie's figure of the ballerina. House looked at it briefly before putting it in the bag. Opening the dresser, House realized that only the top drawer was filled. Shrugging, he started putting the clothes in the bag. There eleven garments in there: five pairs of underwear, a pair of jeans, a pair of socks, a t-shirt, a sweater, a baseball cap, and a red bandana. Stuffing the clothes in the bag, House tossed the sweater to Jeffery, signaling to put him on.

"All ready?" House asked as he hitched Jeffery's backpack onto his shoulder.

"Yeah," Jeffery replied as he started to get up.

"Whoa, sit back down," House said as he started for the door. "No way are we going to let you walk. Nurse!" House called out the door. "We're ready to leave!" Three nurses came in with a gurney. Jeffery got up again as the nurses helped him up. In only a few moments, Jeffery was strapped in the gurney and on his way to the elevator.

"I'll follow the ambulance in my car, okay?" House asked Jeffery as they walked down the hallway toward the exit.

"Okay," Jeffery whispered.

"I'll see at the hospital."

House got in his car, watching the nurses load Jeffery up. For a moment, House reminisced over the past few weeks. He had no idea how messed up his life would become. Once upon a time, his biggest worry was to avoid clinic duty. Now he was a father of two, responsible for the well being two lives. Breathing a deep sigh, House pulled out of the hospital parking lot with the utter feeling that his life was about to change even more than it already had.


	20. Chapter 20

**I know I usually don't start out my chapters with an authors note, but this one seems appropriate. I want to send a message to a certain anonymous reviewer who forgot to put an email address. Her name is Kat, and, Kat, if you're reading this I have to say I've never met any reader who was so destined to find something wrong with my story. Yes, I spelled gangrene gang green. I'm sorry if you found that shockingly wrong, but I also have to say that your version of gangrene was also shockingly wrong. You spelled it 'gangrine'. Yes, it's amazing! We all make typos!**

Chapter 19

Jeffery was exhausted. He had never felt so exhausted in his life, which, since he had cancer, was a point to be taken. On the other hand, he was excited, more excited than he had ever been in his entire life. He remembered every moment leading up to the one he was living in right then, every time he had met a new foster family, every time he had been admitted into a new hospital. None of it was even close to how he was feeling at that moment.

"Are you all right?" one of the two paramedics asked as Jeffery closed his eyes in a silent cheer.

"Yeah, just tired," Jeffery replied as he tried to move, which proved difficult due to the fact that he was strapped down to the gurney.

"We should be there in about half an hour," the paramedic informed Jeffery. "You should go to sleep. It'll go by faster."

Jeffery nodded as he closed his eyes again in a vain attempt to sleep. He was much too anxious for rest to come easy. Instead, he played conversations with Katie in his head, asking her questions about her life. Jeffery wondered if she made good grades, or if she played any instruments. He wondered if she preferred English class to math, and if she played any sports. What he wondered above everything else, though, was how she had come into the care of their father.

The latter was a very curious subject for Jeffery. All throughout his life he had lived under the assumption that Gregory House made passed away. Yet, there he was, clearly alive and well. Why would Jeffery's mother lie to him? Why would she tell him that his father had died? If Jeffery's mother were willing to lie to him to keep him from living from his father, why wouldn't she do the same for Katie? Jeffery was very aware of the fact that his mother was now dead. Maybe that had something to do with Katie living with their father.

"Hey," the other paramedic called, "We're here."

The excitement that was brewing in Jeffery's stomach abruptly turned into an acid apprehension. What if Katie no longer liked him? What if she was different? He no longer had time to speculate as the two paramedics jumped out of the ambulance, carefully taking Jeffery out as well.

"How are you feeling?" asked an unfamiliar voice. Looking up, Jeffery spotted a middle-aged man dressed in a white lab coat with a clipboard in his hand. "Hi, I'm Dr. Wilson. I'll be your doctor."

"Hi," Jeffery whispered shyly as he stared at the doctor.

"We'll get you up to your room as soon as I have a word with your… father," Wilson said. He sounded friendly enough, but Jeffery heard the slight edge of annoyance in his voice. "Do you know where he is?"

"He was supposed to be following along," the paramedic answered. "But I have no idea where he is."

"I'm right here." A gruff, familiar voice sounded in Jeffery's ear. He turned to look towards the parking lot where his father was limping towards Jeffery and Dr. Wilson.

"House!" hissed Wilson in a deadly whispered once House was in whispering earshot. "Why didn't you tell me you had a son?"

"I…" House turned around and saw the paramedics staring at him. Dropping his voice even lower, he said, "I didn't know until Katie told me about him."

"I see." Wilson spoke louder now, not caring if anyone heard him. "I put him in a room across from Katie's. Cameron told me to."

"Good. Now get him up there, like NOW!" House rapped his cane on Wilson's leg as he followed the paramedics into the hospital. Dumfounded, Wilson followed closely behind, jogging slightly to keep up.

"We've got it from here," Wilson said slightly out of breath to the paramedics. They were waiting for an elevator, and if hadn't been for that fact, Wilson would have been left behind in the dust.

The two paramedics looked at each other, shrugged, and then turned to leave for the cafeteria, leaving Jeffery alone with the two doctors.

"Is Katie up stairs?" Jeffery asked in a small voice, looking from House to Wilson.

"You bet," Wilson said with a friendly smile. The elevator had arrived and Wilson pushed the gurney in. House was close behind, choosing the close-door-button, but he wasn't fast enough. Before the doors could be closed all the way, Cuddy walked into the elevator.

"Where did you come from?" House asked in feigned shock. "I didn't see you. Wilson, did you see her?"

"I'm," Wilson said, throwing his hands up, "I'm not getting involved."

"House!" Cuddy said sternly as the elevator ascended, "Are you treating your daughter?"

Cuddy almost wanted to pinch herself to see if she was dreaming. Was this House with a kid? That just didn't seem possible.

"Love to chat," House said, "But I'm with a patient."

"A patient? I didn't know you had a new case."

"It's that patient that you approved transportation for," Wilson informed Cuddy. "It's House's other kid."

"House's other kid?" Cuddy laughed. "Are you joking?"

"Nope," House replied, "We have the same eyes."

Cuddy looked from the boy's bright blue eyes to House's ones. Yes, they were the same shade of blue, but a lot of people had blue eyes. And House did have a weird sense of humor…

"You're avoiding the question," Cuddy said tersely. "Are you treating your daughter?"

"Not anymore. She's Wilson's now." House looked to Cuddy's eyes, which were now softening to a non-threatening expression.

"She has cancer?" Cuddy asked with sympathy. "House, I'm sorry."

The elevator pinged as the doors opened. The three doctors filed out with Wilson pushing the gurney. House directed them to the hospital room that he knew would be Jeffery's.

"Hey!" Jeffery called as they passed Katie's room. "Is that Katie in there?"

"Yeah, it is," Wilson replied. "Would you like to see her?"

"That's a stupid question," Jeffery snapped. "Of course I'd like to see her!"

"Let's get you all settled in your room," Wilson said as the entered a hospital room. "Then I'll let you go see your sister."

Jeffery nodded somewhat grudgingly. He wanted to see his sister, not sit in a hospital room!

"Here, let me help you up," Wilson said as he gently lifted Jeffery into his bed. A nurse was there in an instant to take the gurney away. "Can you get me a wheel chair?" Wilson asked as the nurse disappeared through the door.

A few moments later, the nurse returned wheeling a wheel chair instead of a gurney. Jeffery didn't waste any time. Instead of waiting for Wilson or House to help him up, he got up and plopped himself in the wheel chair.

"Is somebody going to push me there, or am I going to have to walk all the way there?" Jeffery asked with a sneer as the two doctors stared at him.

"I'll push you," House volunteered. He grabbed hold of the handles, and with slight difficulty, he managed to push Jeffery all the way to the door of Katie's room.

"Come on!" Jeffery growled impatiently as House paused at the door. "Just let me in!"

"I think we should knock first," House said uneasily. The truth was, he was afraid of what he would find beyond the door. Was Katie all right? Did she look even more ill than when he had left her? Bringing up his fist, he knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Came a female's voice that was not Katie's. It sounded a lot like Cameron's. Opening the door, House saw Katie and Cameron chatting and laughing. Katie had a chunk of hair missing from the back of her head, but besides that, she hadn't changed. House breathed a sigh of relief.

"Katie?" Jeffery asked. Katie looked from Cameron's face to Jeffery.

"Jeffery?" Katie asked.

Katie stood up from her bed at the exact moment Jeffery stood up from his wheel chair. The two kids walked two each other, both of the staggering slightly as they did so. When they reached each other, the paused for a moment before throwing their arms around each other in an embrace.

"I missed you, Katie," Jeffery breathed into Katie's ear.

"I did too," Katie replied with a smile forming on her lips.

The twins knew that did not matter if one of them died. They had been reunited, and that's all that mattered.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 20

The two kids sat, staring at each other.

"Height?" Jeffery asked, staring unconcernedly into Katie's face.

"Five foot even," Katie replied with bravado.

"Me too. Favorite sport?"

For at least three-quarters of an hour, Jeffery and Katie had been questioning each other about their pasts. Now, they were onto more trivial things, such as height and favorite sport.

"Soccer!" The two kids said in unison, eyeing each other with a smile.

"I used to play," Katie said as she scratched her head (an alarmingly large amount of hair fell out as she did so), "but I decided to quite last fall because I had to devote more time into ballet practice. Do you play?"

"I mostly watched," said Jeffery softly. He was clearly not unabashed by the truth. "When I was well enough to go to school, I would play it during recess and gym class, but I never actually belonged to a team."

Katie nodded thoughtfully. "What's your favorite color?"

"Blue," Jeffery said, obviously glad for the change in topic.

"I like purple more than blue," Katie admitted, "but it's sort of my favorite color too."

House watched from a distance as his two children became reacquainted. He couldn't hear what they were saying; both of their voices were soft and did not carry. But, all the same, he could tell they were having a good time, both laughing as the other said something funny.

"I've looked over Jeffery's files," said Wilson, standing besides House. "Did you know his middle name is Gregory?"

"No, I didn't know that," House replied in a dry, monotonous voice. Although he was happy that his children were together again, he felt as if something was wrong.

"Anyway," Wilson continued, "Jeffery's been through many rounds of chemotherapy. He's had a lot of radiation."

"So?" House inquired.

"So," Wilson started, "you know as much as I do that Jeffery might not, you know, be with us, much longer."

House nodded thoughtfully. Although he hated to admit it, Wilson was right. With an eye he tried to keep dried, he once again looked towards Jeffery.

"What about Katie?" House croaked, although he already knew the answer.

"Time will only tell," Said Wilson, turning away from his friend to look at the kids.

"Weight?" Jeffery asked.

Katie hesitated before answering.

"Eighty-five pounds, I think," She whispered. "You?"

"About the same. It's the leukemia that makes us weight what we weigh," Jeffery explained. "Once we're all better, we'll probably gain a lot of weight."

"Good," Katie laughed, her confidence soaring. "Maybe I'll be able to fill up that bikini mom bought me for spring break."

"Yeah…" Jeffery agreed. "Maybe I'll be able to get buff."

"Fat chance," Katie giggled as Jeffery tried to throw a feeble punch from his wheel chair.

"Well," a voice sounded from the door. Turning around, the twins realized that it was Dr. Wilson whom the voice belonged to. "Jeffery's had a very exciting day. I think it's time for him to go to bed."

"All right," Katie said mournfully. "Bye Jeffery. I'll see you soon."

"See you," Jeffery said back as Wilson rolled him out of the room. In only a few moments, Jeffery was once again in his bed, contemplating the future.

For a moment, after the children went into their separate rooms, House was confused. He had no idea, which room to go to, which to visit first. But then, as he relaxed slightly, he realized that he didn't have to be with one of his kids every second of the day. Shrugging slightly, House walked back to his office, sinking into his chair. He popped a vicodin. He swiveled around in his chair. He tossed his ball around.

He was bored.

He was anxious.

He didn't know what to do.

Looking around, House realized that his team was in the conference room. And, the best part about it, they all looked really bored. With a malicious smile on his face, House walked into the room.

"So?" House asked with a booming voice, "Why aren't any of you doing anything?"

"No case," shrugged Foreman. "The last one we had…" Foreman drifted off uncomfortably, not sure what to say next.

"Yes, the last one we had was a little obvious," House retorted as the smile slowly slipped off his face.

House wanted, with all his might, for things to be the way they once were with his team, but it seemed that no matter how he tried, it would never be so. He never estimated how much change Katie would bring to his life when he had decided to take her. Reminiscing, House thought about all the things that wouldn't have happened if it weren't for Katie. At the very least, he would never have heard about Jeffery.

"I…" House started, "I want you guys to go to Cuddy and ask her for a really good case. I'm bored."

His team gave him a look, but all three doctors got up, making their way towards the door.

"So House has a daughter _and _a son?" Chased asked Cameron once they were out of earshot safely down the hall. "I don't believe it!"

"Well, you better," Cameron replied as she passed by the twins' rooms, "because it's true."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" Chase asked.

Just when he thought that he knew House, knew all the tricks up his sleeves that he could absolutely produce, Chase was surprised. Out all the things that had happened to him, the fact that House had twins was probably the most surprising.

"Why are you surprised?" Cameron went on. "I mean House says all the time he hires hookers. What is there to say that he didn't pay his children's mother the night they were conceived?"

"Come on!" Guffawed Foreman. "All that hooker stuff is just House gloating. It's not like it's true. He just got his girlfriend knocked up."

"I don't know," Chase said, contradicting Foreman, "Cameron has a point."

"Whatever," muttered Foreman as they approached Cuddy's office. The had no time to discuss the subject more as they all three filed into the office.


	22. Author's note

Hello Readers!

I have to start out saying how grateful I am that you have followed my story to this point. I've never received such good feedback from a story before, nor have I ever received the astonishing amount reviews that I have had for this story.

But, there is bad news.

I just started band camp, and as I am a freshman I have to have more practices than any other grade. On top of my extra practices, I was also given about thirty pieces of music that I have to, not only master, but also memorize before the first football game (which is in about six weeks). In addition to my marching band duties, I also have summer reading (that I have neglected all summer), and chores. As you can see, writing fan fiction is somewhat low on my priority list. Unfortunately, school starts soon, and so does a regular marching band practice schedule. Every morning and evening before school, and every Saturday will be devoted band. When I have a spare moment, I'll do homework. I'm terribly sorry to say that I won't be able to update for a very long time. I'm not sure when the next update will come, but I assure you that you will find out what happens to Jeffery and Katie and House.

Thank You Again For Reading My Story,

Blame It On the government


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 21

Jeffery sighed, lying back in his bed. So much had happened to him in such a short time… He felt good, the best he had felt in a long time, possibly in his life. For the first time, he had hope that he would get better. Something about being in a family, a real family gave him optimism.

Jeffery absentmindedly scratched his arm where a needle laid. It was just another reminder that he wasn't a normal kid. But, at the least, he had his sister and father

All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door, startling Jeffery out of his thoughts.

"Come in," Jeffery called absentmindedly, thinking it was his dad or Dr. Wilson. Instead, he was surprised to see Mary and Frank Reed, his foster parents. Well, ex-foster parents at this particular point in time.

"Oh my goodness!" Mary exclaimed as she rushed over to Jeffery to hug him. "I missed you so much!"

"You gave us quite a fright!" Frank smiled as he gently patted Jeffery on the back.

For a moment, Jeffery was thoroughly confused. He hadn't seen these people in over a year, and all of a sudden they were saying they missed him? It wasn't possible. For the first time, Jeffery spotted a woman in the back. She had a professional air to her for she was wearing a badge over her business attire. He recognized her as his social worker.

"Jeffery, you remember me, don't you?" His social worker, Beth Cooke, asked.

"Yeah…" Jeffery drifted off, not sure what to say next.

"How are you doing?" Beth asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm a little tired," Jeffery confessed, "But I'm really happy."

"Happy!" Mary screeched, throwing her hands in the air, hugging Jeffery. "What has that horrible man done to you, my sweet boy?"

"Many mentally ill people, like Gregory House," Beth replied, "Are very manipulative. He probably told Jeffery to say that he was happy if anybody asked."

"Wait! Hold on a second!" Jeffery shouted as Mary loosened her hold on him. "What's going on here?"

"Jeffery," Beth started as if she were talking to a small, stupid child. "A man kidnapped you. He put you in danger."

"Who is this alleged kidnapper?" Jeffery was starting to see the picture, and he didn't like it.

"Oh my goodness!" Mary gripped Jeffery harder. "He's in shock!"

"A man named Gregory House kidnapped you, sweetie," Beth explained. "He took you from the hospital without your legal guardian's consent."

"You have all of your facts wrong," Jeffery said. "Just go find my dad, the man you said kidnapped me. He'll explain everything to you."

"Well, you see," Beth started, "Gregory House is already in custody. He's en route to the police station right now."

"What!" Jeffery had never felt the electric feelings that were now sweeping through is body. He had just found his father, and now he might never see him again. Jeffery wanted to hurt something… to kill someone. Mary or Frank would be a good candidate…

"As soon as we can, we're going to get you out of this hospital," Mary said as she started to rub his baldhead.

"Are you going to take me back to the Children's Hospital?"

"No… no," Mary smiled. "We think it'd be good for you if you got to spend sometime at home."

"You mean…" Jeffery drifted off, not sure if you like where this conversation was headed.

"Yes, we've decided to take you off of treatment." Mary kissed his forehead. "It'll be nice to have you home."

"But without treatment, I'll die!" Jeffery pulled away from Mary, frightened of her.

"Now don't be like that," Frank said with a frown. "None of us can foresee that."

Jeffery scowled as he tried to think of what they would want him dead for. They had never liked him. Mary and Frank had already decided they hated children before Jeffery had even walked through the door. Everything that Jeffery did was wrong: everything he said, everything he did. Usually, the day ended with Jeffery being whipped with a long branch from the bush in the backyard. He would usually bear long, thin bruises and cuts on his back. The Reeds would blame it on Jeffery's roughness when he played outside for the doctors would always see it when they were examining him. Finally, the Reeds left Jeffery at the hospital, and never saw him again… until this day.

"Why do you want me dead?" Jeffery cried.

"We don't want you dead," Beth said with a frown. "Why do you say that, Jeffery?"

"Nobody wants me!" Jeffery howled. He had forgotten that anybody was in the room. All he could think about was that his short miserable life was going to end. He was going to die alone, with no father, and no sister. "What did I ever do to deserve this?"

"Nurse!" Beth shouted as she ran out the door.

Moments later, a nurse came in, closely followed by Beth. In the nurse's left hand, a syringe lay. Carefully, the nurse approached Jeffery, sticking the needle into his arm. In an instant, the boy went limp in unconsciousness.

'

Katie heard it all. She saw it all. She went numb. How could this be? How could this happen. The events from the last half an hour played through her mind.

She had been sitting in her bed, reminiscing over the conversation she had with her brother when, through the walls of her room, she saw two policemen inter her father's office. A few moments later, the two police officers exited with her father in handcuffs. Now, as she looked across the hall, she saw a nurse sedate her brother. She couldn't believe it. Now she was all alone.

Katie felt a tear escape her eye. She willed herself not to cry, but she couldn't help it.

"Katie!" A voice burst through Katie's ears, waking her from her thoughts. Averting her eyes toward the door, she realized it was Wilson.

"Katie!" Wilson shouted once more. "We have to go."

**I'm terribly sorry that it has been such a long time since I've updated, but I have been so busy. I've had marching band practice, football games, and homework. I hardly have time to sleep, let alone write fan fiction. I can't tell you when the next update will be, but hopefully this has satisfied your hunger for a little bit.**


	24. Chapter 23

The Reeds thought Jeffery was asleep. He appeared to sleeping with his eyes closed and his breathing deep and even. He wasn't, though, and he hadn't been asleep for some time now. It was a little trick of his that he picked up over the years, when a couple of nurses were standing outside his door, and he wanted to hear what they had to say. In this particular scenario, it proved not only to be entertaining, but informative as well. 

"Why didn't you tell me that Jeffery's father was still alive?" Jeffery heard Frank hiss. "It would have been nice if that man didn't come to screw up our plan."

"I didn't know he was still alive. You could have been nicer when he came to visit, you know," Mary retorted, annoyed.

"Me? Nicer? I didn't scream when he mentioned Jeffery's name."

"What was I to think? I thought he was from the FBI or something."

"The FBI doesn't get involved with this sort of thing. Remember what the doctor said last time we visited Jeffery? He said that we might consider taking Jeffery home and making his last days comfortable. There's nothing weird about taking a terminally ill child home so that he might spend his last days in peace."

"But that's just the thing!" Mary exclaimed in a wavering voice. "He isn't terminally ill. If you remember correctly, the doctor also said that there is still hope, that he might recover."

"Don't tell me you're taking pity on that boy, Mary. He doesn't deserve it."

"I know he doesn't. What if the plan doesn't work out?"

Jeffery perked his ears up. This was the second mention to a 'plan'. He had no idea what the plan was, but he had a vague idea that his part in it was to die. He tried his best not to stir as a shiver overtook him.

"Mary, listen closely 'cause I don't want to repeat myself again. This plan is fool proof. We take Jeffery home from the hospital, right? He dies maybe in a week or two."

"And what if he doesn't?" Mary interrupted.

"Then we help him out a little bit. Maybe a little bleach mixed in with his milk... a little rat poison in his oatmeal."

"Won't they find that sort of stuff during his autopsy?" Jeffery could hear a thin strain of fear in Mary's voice.

"Mary, listen to yourself! They won't do an autopsy. His cause of death is obvious! Anyway, after he dies, we pretend we're sad. Maybe cry a little. Then, we go to the bank to sort out his funeral costs. And then, there! On his file, we notice it says 'inheritance'. We ask, 'What's that?'. The banker will look into it and he'll tell us that Jeffery had some money to his name that will go to us now. See? Fool proof!"

"But how do you know that money will go to us? How do you know that he even has money to his name?"

"Mary, do you remember when your mother died?" Frank asked, a little bit of malice in his voice.

"Yes."

"And do you remember how you and your mother weren't on the best of terms?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember that you still inhertited three thousand dollars from her?"

"Yes, of course I do. It was our down payment on a new car, if you remember."

"I remember that!" Frank spat. "But do you know why you still got three grand even though your mother thought you were the scum of the earth?"

"Because she wanted me to know that she still loved me?" Mary guessed feebly.

"NO!" Frank exclaimed. "By law, when parents die, some of their money has to go to their children. Your mother didn't love you enough to include you in her will. But she didn't have to for you to get money. Jeffery's mother was a very wealthy woman. She probably had hundreds of thousands of dollars saved up, if not millions. If Jeffery was included in her will, then he might have enough money to his name for us to buy a new house!"

"Won't that money go to his sister, though, if he dies?"

"Sister?" Frank asked. Jeffery could imagine the deep furrows in his face that Frank got when he was puzzled or confused, which was most of the time. "Don't be silly, Mary. Jeffery doesn't have any siblings."

"Yes, he does. Haven't you been paying attention? That doctor was talking about it! Didn't you hear? Now who's the silly one, Frank?"

"Well," replied Frank, his voice pure evil. "We'll just have to take care of her too!"

Jeffery couldn't pretend to be sleeping any longer. He started stirring, stretching a little, making it seem as if he was just coming out of a deep sleep. The Reeds at once ended their conversation, Mary standing next to Jeffery's bed with an almost fiegned look of concern on her face.

Wilson had accidentally heard a similar conversation between Mary and Frank Reed about half an hour earlier. And he could already guess what their intentions were. Before the Reeds could even get their act together, Wilson took Katie to House's place. He knew that it was the most inconspicious hiding place, but it was the most stable. He had seen House get arrested, and afterwards, Wilson snuck into his office and stole his house key. Katie was now lying in House's bed, biting her nails fearfully. She had already been briefed on the situation, but from what she heard, she wished she hadn't.

"Don't worry, Katie," Wilson said, trying to reassure the girl that everthing was going to be all right. "We'll get this figured out. Don't you worry."

"Oh, don't wory about me," Katie replied with a small smile. "You should worry about Jeffery. Did you say that they wanted to poison him?"

"Jeffery's a smart kid," Wilson replied. "He won't eat anything that has poison in it." Even as he said, though, he did not believe it.

The two sat in silence for some time, both worried. Wilson was terrified that he might be charged with kidnapping as well. Katie was just afraid for her life. The one who was really scared, though, was House.

The doctor was sitting in the police station, handcuffed to a chair. The only thing he had to look forward to was an interrogation. He had no idea what was going on. Legally, the police could hold him without cause for forty-eight hours. By that time, Jeffery could be dead. House could feel his life crashing down around him. A few weeks ago, he didn't have children. In a few days, he might not have any children. Oh, the irony! Even though he hadn't been a father for very long, he couldn't imagine any other way. A man and a woman walked up to him, holding out their badges.

"Dr. House?" the woman asked. "We have some questions to ask you."

"Look!" House said. "I don't care if you throw me in prison for the rest of my life. My children are in trouble. They need your help. Why don't you go and find them, and question me later?"

"Yes," the woman agreed. "Come with us."

House stood up as the man unlocked his cuffs, rubbing his wrists. He followed the detectives into an interrogation room, feeling for the first time in a while, hope.

**I didn't have spell check as I wrote this, so I really hope there weren't too many spelling errors. Thanks for reading!**


	25. Chapter 24

House was sitting comfortably in an interrogation room. Well, perhaps it wasn▓t the most pleasant room, and maybe the chair was a little stiff, and maybe the two-way mirror made him a little uneasy. But at least he wasn▓t handcuffed anymore, and he was sipping a cup of coffee.  
⌠So...■ the male detective, Detective Wilkins said as he sat down at the table. ⌠You▓re Dr. Gregory House┘■ ⌠Yeah,■ House replied. ⌠And I don▓t know if you know this, but somewhere out there, my son is dying.■ ⌠And, apparently, your daughter too,■ the female detective, Detective Allen, added as she sat down as well. ⌠We called the hospital about ten minutes ago to tell them to make sure that Katie didn▓t go anywhere. They said she had been missing for about an hour.■

⌠What!■ House exclaimed. ⌠What do you mean? I don▓t understand.■ ⌠Well, it▓s a long story,■ Wilkins sighed. ⌠And not a very fun one to hear. Allen, would you like to start.■ Detective Allen threw a manila file onto the table in front of House. Curiously, House opened the file and came face to face with a smiling boy of about three.  
⌠Jeremy White,■ Allen said with a sigh. ⌠About seventeen years ago, the man you know as Frank Reed and his wife, Beatrice--.■ ⌠I thought her name was Mary,■ House interrupted.  
⌠We▓re getting there. Anyway.■ Allen took a breath and continued. ⌠About seventeen years ago, the man you know as Frank Reed and his wife, Beatrice, applied to adopt a child. They got this little boy, Jeremy White, and I guess all three of them were happy for a while.■ ⌠I don▓t like where this story is going,■ House said when Allen paused.  
⌠Neither do I,■ Wilkins replied, ⌠and I was the one who found his body. First call I got as a police officer, and I found a dead kid┘■ ⌠He died?■ House asked hesitantly.  
⌠Unfortunately, yes,■ Allen said as she shook her head. ⌠He fell in the creek behind his house during rainy season.■

"So it was an accident?" House asked.

"It would appear to be so," Wilkins said. "There was nothing to suggest it wasn't. He had a cut on his head, but that was from hitting his head on a rock as he fell in."

"So what was the problem?" House asked.

"Back then, Frank Reed wasn't Frank Reed. He called himself George Frost, and that incident with Jeremy White wouldn't be his only crime?" Wilkins said.

"What else happened?" House didn't want to know, but he wanted to know what he had to be prepared for if they found the twins... not alive.

"About three years later George and Beatrice Frost applied for another foster child," said Wilkins. "They got one pretty fast. They were in a pretty good financial state since Jeremy White's father left him quite a bit of money when he died, and since the Frost's were Jeremy's only 'family' still living, they got the entire inheritance.  
"Anyway," Wilkins continued. "They got this baby, another boy named Christopher Grey. A few months later, though, Christopher died. SIDS, this time."

"These don't sound like accidents," House said with a frown. "Did the Frosts get anything from Christopher's death?"

"They tried to get a house that once belonged to Christopher's great-grandmother, but and Aunt claimed before those two could get their hands on it," Allen explained.

"So is there anything else?" House asked.

The two detectives looked at each other, as if they were trying to decide if they should House the next disturbing story. It was Allen who broke the ice.

"About ten years ago," Allen began, "We got this tip that Frost was abusing children. Because of the two previous deaths, we were on the scene moments after we received the tip. But when we got there, we realized that the Frosts had no children at that period in time. Beatrice couldn't get pregnant, and they hadn't applied for anymore more foster children." Allen looked to Wilkins for support.

"I went to investigate," Wilkins continued. "The Frosts and I had a history together, and they trusted me. Well, at least Beatrice did. George always seemed to be a bit snappish when I was around. Anyway, I went over to their house, and they told me that they didn't have any children. Beatrice didn't talk very much. She seemed... depressed. George said that she hadn't quite recovered from Christopher's death. When I left, I was convinced that no children were being abused."

"But you were wrong, though, weren't you?" House asked through scrutinizing eyes.

"Yes, we were wrong." Wilkins shook his head. "We never would have guessed it, but Frank was... a pedophile."

"He wasn't... he wasn't..." House let his question linger, not being able to finish his sentence.

"He was hurting the neighborhood children, and there were tapes of the kids running around naked. Frost wasn't in any of them, though, which really was a pity," Allen added. "We arrested him, but he said Beatrice did it. She confessed, and all the children said she did it." Allen paused. "I don't know how he got away with it, but he did it. Maybe Beatrice had something to do it, but I have a feeling that she was one hundred percent innocent."

"So what happened to Beatrice?" House asked.

"She was sentenced to ten years in prison. She would be out right about now, except she died in prison a little while ago," Wilkins said. "A pity, really."

House leaned back in his chair as the detectives finished their stories. He was glad he knew exactly who and Frank Reed was. He just wasn't sure if he benefited from that information.

"Okay," House said as he stood up, reaching for his cane. "We've wasted enough time. Let's find my kids"  
The Reeds had taken Jeffery from the hospital, and they were now driving en route to California. They hadn't been going long, and if Jeffery had to guess, he would say that they weren't even past the New Jersey border.

"Is he asleep?" Frank asked Mary from the driver's seat. Quickly, Jeffery closed his eyes and feigned sleep.

"Yeah, I think so," Mary replied.

"Good." Jeffery felt the car lurch as Frank pulled the car over. Jeffery heard a car door open and then slam. Then, the door closest to his head opened and he felt his body being coarsely picked up . The sound of the trunk opened, and Jeffery was thrown in. Before he could do anything about it, the trunk closed. And Jeffery was locked in.

Jeffery wanted to scream, but he was too shocked to even do that. His body rolled a bit as the car lurched again, and started driving down the highway. "Well," Jeffery muttered to himself cynically, "It was nice living. 'AND THUS ENDS THE LIFE OF JEFFERY HOUSE!'" Jeffery laughed to himself despite the desperate situation.

For several minutes, Jeffery lay in a contemplative silence. And then, because he didn't know what else to do, he recited a prayer that he had picked up when he was living with a Jewish family. "Yit'gadal v'yit'kadash shmay'raba..." Jeffery wasn't quite sure what it meant, but it seemed to be appropriate.

It was dark outside, and a strange feeling was growing in Katie's stomach. Wilson had fallen asleep on a chair he had pulled up beside the bed, and Katie thought that maybe she should do the same thing. But she couldn't sleep. She had a feeling Jeffery was in grave danger. She was in grave danger. Oh well... perhaps the afterlife was a nice place after all. 


	26. Chapter 25

Jeffery was locked in the trunk of a car. Oddly, though, he seemed unaffected by it. He had been in enough odd situations to not think anything of it. Some would call that sad. Jeffery just called it adapting to the situation.

Time seemed to drag in the solemn darkness, and Jeffery began to wish he knew the time. For a while, he counted to himself using Mississippi seconds, but that soon grew tiresome. After what Jeffery guessed to be about three or fours hours, he realized that time no longer matter for his life was soon to end. With that resolution in mind, he decided to sleep for the rest of his time on earth. He closed his eyes, but sleep did not come. It was a bumpy ride in the trunk, and a disembodied metal object kept striking him in the ribs to the rhythm of the car. And the worst part, he discovered, was the fact that he needed to use the restroom very badly.

"Come on," Jeffery muttered to himself as he banged on the top of the trunk. "COME ON!"

To his surprise, there was no response. The car didn't swerve off the road. There weren't any shouted rude comments. The Reeds couldn't hear him.

It was the first time Jeffery realized the danger he was actually in.

For an hour more Jeffery laid in silence and darkness. Then, he couldn't hold it in anymore. His bladder burst, soaking him with a warm liquid. He made been humiliated before, stripped of clothes and screaming in pain in hospitals. But this... this represented the lowest of lows. Jeffery was certain that his life couldn't get any worse.  
"So..." House asked. He had been at the police station sinceearly evening the night before. It was now nearing 4:30. "Any advancements?"

"Yes," Detective Allen replied. "We pulled the tapes from the security cameras in the parking garage. We have a license plate number and a description on the car. We've just sent out an Amber alert."

"And do those work?" House asked with a critical eye.

"Usually we get results within hours."

"Let's hope we get results fast," House muttered to himself. "For everyone's sake."

"

It was five' o clock in the morning, and police officer Joshua Bennett would have rather been asleep in bed then out on the street in his cruiser. Luckily, his shift ended an hour, and he would soon get an opportunity to do whatever his heart desired.

All of a sudden, a thin stream of sound drifted into the cruiser from the radio. Curious, Bennett picked up his ears, listening a bit more closely. 

"Thirteen-year-old Jeffery House. Reported missing last night. Last spotted with Frank Reed and Mary Reed. Driving a silver mid-sized Sudan. License plate number 834-JWT," buzzed the radio.

"Oh," Bennett thought to himself, "Just an Amber alert."

Be barely paid heed to it, and continued on the lookout for the occasional speeder. About five minutes later, though, he spotted a mid-sized Sudan with the license plate number 834-JWT. In his six months of being a cop, Bennett had never actually rescued a kidnapped child. But his stomach was excited as he put on his sirens and lights and raced after the car.

It was a morning of firsts as Bennett realized that the car wasn't stopping. That had never happened before. Usually, people stopped the car as soon they realized they were being pulled over.

The Sudan sped up, and, in return, so did Bennett. Excitement grew in the young police officer's stomach as he realized he was in a car chase! Before he knew it, both cars were going well over one hundred miles per hour.

As the cars raced down the highway, Bennett started seeing the danger of going at such a high speed. That's when he saw it. A lane ended, a cement wall going up in its place. Bennett saw it and slowed down, but the Sudan didn't. It hit the wall head on, rebounded, and started flipping in the other direction. It rolled three times, landing on wheels in a field right off the highway.

Immediately, Bennett stopped the cruiser and ran towards the car, calling an ambulance. As he neared it, he heard a faint cry that appeared to be coming from trunk. Hurriedly, he ran towards it, trying to find a way to open it. Finding that it was firmly locked, he pointed his gun at the lock, prayed he wouldn't hit anything in the trunk, and shot. With success, the trunk popped open, and there, lying in a small pool of liquid, was a young boy. On his bald head, a large would was pleading freely, and his leg was twisted. Besides that and the fact that he was crying, he appeared to be all right.

Bennett contemplated for a moment about whether to pick the boy up, or to wait for the ambulance. It was quite possible that he had a broken neck, and picking him up would mean paralysis. A smell struck Bennett's nose, the smell of gasoline, and that's when he reacted. He picked up the boy, and began to run. He ran faster than he knew how. When he got back to the highway, a large sound filled his ears, and heat reverberated through his body. Turning around, he realized that the car had exploded. The boy in his arms, though, he was all right.

And Bennett had a feeling that that was all that mattered.

"Dr. House?" Detective Allen approached the drowsy man. "We found your son. He's on his way to Princeton-Plainsboro as we speak."

"Good," replied House. "Excellent."

His words might not have expressed his feelings on the inside, but he was relieved. 


	27. Chapter 26

Wilson woke with a start, sore and uncomfortable, curled up in a chair. At first, he was confused, but realization seeped in as he remembered the events from the previous day. He relaxed slightly, reclining in his chair. He glanced towards Katie, who was asleep, her body moving with every deep and even breath she took.

Preferably, Wilson would have liked to shower, change clothes, and shave, but he couldn't. At 8:30, he was already late to work. Cuddy was probably wondering where he was, and, besides, Katie needed to be back in the hospital.

Wilson stood, his cramped muscles groaning under his weight.

"Hey, Katie," whispered Wilson.

"Uuuhh," Katie groaned and rolled over.

"Katie," Wilson whispered, "I know you don't feel very well, but we have to go. You need to be back in the hospital."

Groggily, Katie opened her eyes to find Wilson in her face. As much as she wanted to go back to sleep, she had heard what Wilson had to say. She really did need to go back to the hospital. Her aching body was testament enough! Shakily, she sat up, and threw her legs over the side of the bed.

"Ready?" Wilson asked, extending his hand. Katie nodded and took it.

Katie and Wilson walked hand in hand to the car. When they got to it, Wilson helped Katie into the passengers seat, and he sat himself in the drivers seat and started the car. The drive back to the hospital was quiet and uneventful. Katie would have played with the radio if she had been feeling better, and Wilson would have started a conversation if he knew what to say.

"

"Did you hear?" Cameron asked nonchalantly as she, Chase, and Foreman sat in the diagnostic's department, sipping coffee. "House's son is in the emergency."

"You're kidding me?" Foreman asked with a dry chuckle. "I don't know about you, but I think this is getting a bit ridiculous."

"What's so ridiculous about it?" Chase asked between bites of a scone he was eating. "House has kids. So what?"

"It just seems weird, that's all," Foreman replied, and went back to his coffee.

"So..." Cameron asked a few moments later. "Does anybody want to go see him?"

"See who?" Foreman asked, playing dumb.

"House's son, of course," Cameron laughed, standing up. "Come on, Chase. Let's go."

Cameron and Chase left the room, leaving Foreman behind. After a few minutes, though, the estranged doctor followed his colleagues' example, and he too left the room.

"

House knew that something bad had happened to Jeffery. He knew it in his heart, and he knew it in his gut. From what he had gathered, Jeffery had been shoved in the trunk of a car, soiled himself, and then was terribly injured when the car spun out of control. Already, he knew that two other people had died in the crash. Was Jeffery going to be the next causality? House's stomach started to clench, even more than it already was, as he saw Dr. Johnson approach. Jeffery hadn't been in the ER for long, and House knew, just knew, that whatever Dr. Johnson had to say, it wouldn't be good.

"Dr. House," Dr. Johnson said as he approached House. "I would like to have a word with you concerning Jeffery."

"Just…" House heard himself croak out. "Just tell me he's going to be okay." House closed his eyes and awaited the answer.

"Okay," Dr. Johnson said, holding out his hands. "Jeffery is going to be okay."

"Really?" House looked into the honest eyes of the ER physician, and allowed himself to feel relieved.

"Not to mean that he didn't come out of this completely unharmed," Dr. Johnson continued. "He has a mild concussion with a cut on his forehead, five broken ribs, and a severely broken leg. Besides that, he just has some bumps and bruises. If it wasn't for his cancer, I would allow him to go home tomorrow."

"About his cancer?" House asked apprehensively. "Were there any complications with that?"

"None that I can see. I'll have Dr. Wilson have a look at him when he gets here. Okay?"

"Yeah… is Jeffery conscious?"

"Yes. Well, at least he was that last time I checked. He's in his room in the diagnostics department if you would like to see him."

"I would." With that, House left making his way to the elevator. On his way up, he remembered that Katie was still missing. His eyes grew wide, and swarm of butterflies erupted in his stomach. What if the Reeds kidnapped her as well? What if she was in the car? What if she was…

House made himself stop thinking about that. Katie was fine. She had to be. And besides, only three people were in the car: Jeffery, Mary Reed, and Frank Reed. Two of them were dead. Jeffery was alive. Katie wasn't in the car.

The elevator opened and House stepped out into the hallway. Everything around him seemed so normal. Nurses chatted happily among themselves while patients strolled through the hallway. It was so weird because House felt everything but normal.

He made his way to Jeffery's room, and opened the door. There, the boy was lying in his bed, a bandage on his leg from his foot all the way up to his mid thigh, and a bandage on his forehead. He was asleep, breathing softly.

House walked up to the bed, reaching out for Jeffery's hand. As he clasped it, he looked upon his arm and saw the many cuts and bruises that stretched all along his wrist all the way up to his shoulder. House could feel his eyes tear up. He didn't want Jeffery to go through what he had been through. He wanted to protect his son from all the bad there was out there.

"I love you," House whispered softly.

Jeffery stirred, opening his eyes. He had heard what his father has juts said, and a sarcastic remark was already forming. He opened his mouth to say, but it didn't come out.

"I love you too," was all that came out. A tear slid down Jeffery's cheek. He couldn't remember when the last time he had heard those words. And it felt nice. He felt loved for the very first time in his life.

"I'm a glad I didn't die," Jeffery said through his tears.

"Me too," House replied as a tear slid down his cheek. "I don't what I would have done if something happened to you."

Jeffery knew that everything was going to get better. In fact, his life had just hit an all time high.


	28. Chapter 27

How long had it been?

How long had it been?

That was the question that House asked himself over and over again as he watched over his sleeping children.

How long had it been since he received the call telling him that Katie was in foster care?

"Two and a half weeks." He answered his own question aloud, surprised at how raspy his voice sounded.

"You look like crap," a voice said, making House jump a little.

House turned around, surprised to see Wilson standing there with a white piece of paper in his hands.

"I thought you went home," House said with a yawn.

"I started to, but then I remembered something I had to do."

"And what was that?" House asked with just a touch of curiosity.

"I just wanted to test Katie and Jeffery, to see what their cancer was doing," Wilson explained.

"And just, exactly, is it doing?"

"Nothing," Wilson replied simply.

"Nothing?" House inquired.

"I can't explain it!" Wilson exclaimed, shoving the white piece of paper in House's face. "When I tested both of them, I found healthy cells in their blood."

"Are you serious?"

"Completely. Here, see for yourself."

House took the paper from Wilson, studying it with a furrowed brow. After several moments, House looked up at Wilson again.

"They're in remission," House whispered.

"Yes," Wilson replied with a smile. "For the moment they are, but they both have a high chance of a relapse. Neither of them have a blast right now, but that could change."

"Yeah... yeah... I know. Could I take them home by the end of the week?"

"Definitely. And speaking of home, when was the last time you were there? You look like you haven't slept in a week and you smell like--"

"Well, it's not like personal hygiene has been a priority! So much has happened. I just... I just... I'm sorry. I'm just so tired."

"Go home. Go to sleep. Foreman, Cameron and Chase are here. We'll take turns watching over the twins. I promise, we won't let them out of our site. You don't have a case, and I don't think Cuddy would mind too much if you took the rest of the day off."

House looked from Wilson, then to Katie to in the room to his right, and then to Jeffery in the room to his left. They were safe. He was tired.

"Please," House whispered. "Keep them safe."

"I promise," Wilson replied with compassion, placing a friendly and comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.

"You know, I know we're having a moment here and all. But, you know?" House glanced to the hand on his shoulder, then back to Wilson.

"Oh, excuse me," Wilson muttered as he cleared his throat.

Then, House couldn't take it. He burst out laughing as a hearty chuckle escaped Wilson's mouth.

"Good to have you back, House. See you in a few."

With a smile still on his lips, House made his way toward the elevators. He stepped in, and pressed the 'lobby' button. But before the doors could close all the way, no one other than Cuddy herself stepped into the elevator. House groaned. Cuddy wrinkled her nose at the doctor's obvious dishevelment.

"House--" Cuddy began, but House cut her off.

"It's a long story," he replied.

"Well, I've got time.

"--And then he was kidnapped, but he was returned safe and sound," House finished an hour later in the hospital cafeteria, telling Cuddy the epic tale of the last two and a half weeks.

"Wow," Cuddy replied, her empty coffee cup clenched in her hands. "How are you? I mean..." She trailed off, not really knowing what to say. "How are Jeffery and Katie?"

"Never better, actually. Their cancers are in remission. It's fantastic!"

"That's really good!" Cuddy agreed. "When do they get to leave the hospital?"

"I'll be taking them home by the end of the week," House said, feeling somewhat proud.

"They'll be coming home with you?" Cuddy asked.

"Yeah, they will. Don't you think I'll make a good father?" All of a sudden, House was very defensive.

"No, no, no," Cuddy said hastily. "I wasn't saying that at all. I was just wondering where you were planning on putting them."

"Putting them?"

"Like, where are they going to sleep? They both can't sleep on the couch. Your apartment isn't near big enough for three people"

Where Jeffery and Katie were going to sleep hadn't occurred to House. He hadn't even thought about the future past the next few days. As he started to ponder what he would do about the housing situation, a whole host of questions started to pop up. Where would they go to school? What kind of food would they eat? What would they do for the rest of the summer? Did they need a babysitter? And what about new clothes? What clothes did teenagers wear these days, anyway?

House's head swam as all the questions floated through it.

"House?" Cuddy asked with concern. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," House replied with conviction. "Just tired. Be back later."

House stood up and was well on his way out the door before Cuddy could even get another word in.

Once back at the apartment, House didn't sleep like he originally planned. He showered, put on a clean set of pajamas, got into bed... and didn't sleep. He was tired enough, he knew that for sure. But all of his problems floated through his mind. After lying fruitlessly in bed for half an hour, he got up, went to his computer, and started a google search on the closest high school. It was high school Jeffery and Katie were in, right?

Oh well. He would search that fact later. The more immediate problem was housing. He did another google search on houses for sale in the area. After searching for twenty minutes, none of his problems were solved. He didn't know what to do.

He needed help.

But where was he going to get the help? Who was going to help him?

More questions. More problems.

All of a sudden, House felt really tired. He abandoned his computer, seeking his bed. He climbed into it, asleep in moments. His problems would have to wait for later...

**I'm really sorry I haven't updated in a very long while. So much has happened these past few months--including a few deaths, a recent move, and many other things that I just can't describe at the moment. As I wrote this chapter, I just wasn't feeling it. Because of that, I might redo this chapter. Please tell me if you guys felt it or not. **

**Thank you for reading, and I really do hope you've enjoyed it. **


	29. Chapter 28

_What an odd dream _House thought to himself as he regained consciousness. In it, he had two kids, twins, who had cancer. As he regained awareness, however, he realized that it was not a dream.

It wasn't a dream...

...it wasn't a dream...

... IT WASN'T A DREAM!!

House sat up with a start, throwing the covers off. What time was it? Glancing at the clock, House realized that is 9:30. He had been sleeping for about six hours, but it felt like much less, considering how drowsy he still felt.

He would have thrown the covers back on and gone back to sleep, but he couldn't. The mixture of excitement and anxiety that was brewing in the pit of his stomach wouldn't allow him. And, besides, he had so much to do.

'

In a half hour's time, House was dressed and on his way to the hospital. As he drove, he couldn't help but smile. So much had gone wrong in the past couple of weeks. Now something was happening right. He started whistling a happy tune as he parked in his parking spot, and hopped out of the car, cane bouncing rhythmically as he walked.

The hospital was quieter now than it had been when House left, which suited the odd doctor fine. Swiftly, he made his way to the elevators. In no time, he was on the right floor. Smiling, he walked towards to the twins' rooms. As he approached, though, the smile fell off his face. Around Katie's room, many nurses were crowded, Wilson running to and fro.

"What's going on!" House demanded as he saw the scene.

"Good, you're here," Wilson replied over his shoulder as he ran into the crowded room.

"What's going on?" House asked again, but no one answered him. A few moments later, Wilson resurfaced, his face filled with worry.

"House," Wilson sighed, "It's not good."

"What--," House started to ask, but Wilson darted away again, this time headed down the hall.

"WILL ANYONE TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON?" House shouted, but no one seemed to hear him.

Finally, House decided to take matters in his own hands. He pushed himself through the crowd, only stopping when he saw Katie. She was unconscious, intubated, tubes seeming to stick out everywhere.

"Katie," House whispered as he reached for her hand. He didn't know what was wrong with her. But from the way she looked added to the few bleak words that Wilson said, House could only guess that it was bad.

"Sir?" A voice asked, tearing Houses eyes away from Katie. He turned around to see an annoyed nurse standing behind him, a long needle and syringe in her hand. "Sir, I understand your concern, but you need to stand outside until we're finished. Otherwise, you'll just get in the way, and hinder treatment."

"But," House said, feeling very helpless, "I'm a doctor."

"I understand you're also her father."

"But--," House began, but stopped. The nurse had a point. He couldn't treat Katie. It was unethical. "All right." House stepped out of the room, defeated.

For a few pitiful moments, House just stood there, watching as the nurses worked on Katie. It was an odd and unfamiliar feeling that House felt, the feeling that he wasn't in control of the situation.

House felt so helpless.

In his moment of pity, House didn't notice the small figure that crept up behind him. In fact, he wouldn't have noticed him at if he hadn't put his small hand in House's. Surprised, House looked down to see Jeffery, tears running down his face. He was seated in a wheelchair, due to his broken leg, a nurse pushing him.

"Is Katie..." Jeffery whispered, drifting off, unable to finish his sentence. "Is she... is she all right? Is she going to be all right?"

"I don't know," House whispered back, grasping Jeffery's hand tighter. "I wish I knew, but..."

House drifted off as he saw Wilson approaching him, as well as another doctor who was pushing a gurney.

"House," Wilson said, holding a clipboard and a pen, "all we need is your signature."

House took the clipboard, but before he signed it, he looked up to Wilson and said, "Before I sign any consent form, tell me what the hell is going on!"

For a moment, Wilson looked very confused. Then he sputtered, "Cameron didn't tell you?"

"I haven't talked to Cameron in days," House retorted, upset. "Now tell me: What the hell is going on?"

"House," Wilson sighed, obviously stalling, "We were too late. Katie's cancer had been developing for weeks, maybe even months, before it was diagnosed. It's acute, so instead of staying contained like a chronic cancer would, it... spread." Wilson said the last word with a choked sob.

"Spread?" House inquired, back in the game,"where to? How bad is it? Is it operable?"

"It spread to her lungs," Wilson answered. "It became obvious when she went into respiratory arrest. We don't know how bad it is yet, or if it's operable. But she's headed to get a CT scan right now. If it's operable, there's an OR set up for her right now. But if it's not..." Wilson drifted off, not meeting House's eye. "If it's not operable..."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," House said as a few tears dripped down his face. He didn't want to cross that bridge, but it was a possibility.

Wilson nodded as House signed the consent form. The Wilson and the other doctor (who House recognized, but couldn't place a name to the face) rushed over to Katie, lifted her onto the gurney in one quick motion, and ran down the hallway, heading for the elevators. Beside House, Jeffery was sobbing, clinging onto House's arm.

The father put his arm around his son, consoling him wordlessly, consoling him the best way he knew how. House just wished there was someone to console him.


	30. Chapter 29

Katie wished--wished with all her might--that she was a small child again. She wished her mother was still alive, there to hold her hand as she went through all of this scary procedures. Then, she thought of what happened when Jeffery got sick. If mom was alive, would she desert Katie as well.

Katie shivered at the thought--well, as well as one could shiver while intubated and practically tied down in CT scan.

"Katie," a voice sound through the machine. Katie recognized it as Wilson's. "You got to stay still. We only have a few more minutes to go. All right?"

Katie would have responded with an "All right", but she couldn't talk.

_How did this all happen? _Katie asked herself, wondering how in the world she had ended up in this machine. One moment, she was lying in bed. Then, she couldn't breathe. Everything went dark. The next thing she knew, she was in a gurney, being rolled down to radiology. No one would tell her anything.

_Maybe that's for the best_ Katie thought. How would she react if she knew she might be dying? That these moments in the CT scan might be her last?

"All done," Wilson said, the machine once again filled with his voice. "We're going to roll you out now, all right? You were such a good girl."

Katie rolled her eyes as the machine rolled her out.

"All right," Wilson muttered under his breath as he and the other doctor lifted Katie onto the gurney, fixing her tube and machine. "We're going to take you to the operating room now, all right? You're going to have some surgery."

Katie tried to talk, but all that did was made her choke.

"Don't talk," Wilson warned as he began to wheel her out of the room. Katie, heeding the warning, began to kick with her legs to show that she had something to communicate.

"Do you have something to say, Katie?" Wilson asked. As Katie nodded, Wilson started digging through his white coat, pulling out a wrinkled piece of paper and a pen.

"Here you go," Wilson said as he handed the items over to Katie.

Hurriedly, Katie wrote one barely eligible word. When she handed it back to Wilson, the oncologist had to smile. The piece of paper read: _dad?_

"I just paged him," Wilson smiled. "He should be near."

As they exited the room, Wilson spotted House furiously limping down the hallway, trying to reach his ill daughter before she was engaged in risky surgery.

"There he is now," Wilson said, pointing.

Katie tried to sit up, but her tubes constricted her. In a moment, though, a rough hand wound around hers, and her father's head obscured her field of vision.

"Katie," House whispered, carefully stroking her face with his other hand. "You're going to be okay. It's all going to be all right. I'll be waiting for you when you get out of surgery. You're a very brave girl. And I love you." The last four words were whispered, barely audible. But Katie heard them, and although her heart still ached for her mother, she realized that her father was just as good.

As soon as House stopped talking, Wilson started to wheel Katie away.

'

"Katie," Wilson said twenty minutes later. He was wearing scrubs, a mask, and a pair of rubber gloves. In one hand, he held an oxygen mask. "I'm going to place this mask over your nose. It's going to make you fall asleep, all right?"

Katie nodded, still not being able to talk due to the tube. Somewhat awkwardly, Wilson placed the mask over Katie's nose. In less than ten seconds Katie was asleep.

'

What felt like a minute later, Katie woke up in her hospital room. She was wearing a hospital gown... and that was it. She brought her hand up to her mouth, and was surprised (but very happy) to find that the tube was gone. Her mouth felt like sandpaper, and her throat was very soar. But neither of those discomforts could be compared to the pain coming from her rib cage. With a tentative hand, she felt the area, grimacing in pain.

"Does it hurt?" a rough, deep voice asked from her beside. Katie looked over to see House sitting in the chair.

"Yes," Katie replied, her voice soft and hoarse. "Water?"

"Right here," House offered as he handed her a cup with a straw. Greedily, Katie sucked the water down, wanting more.

"More?" Katie asked. House nodded, and poured water into the cup from the pitcher that sat on the bedside table.

"Jeffery?" Katie asked as soon as she was done with her water. "Where's Jeffery?"

"Across the hall," House replied, but when he saw the excited gleam in Katie's eye, he added, "He's asleep. I'm not waking him up until morning."

"So?" Katie asked, "What happened, exactly? Why did I need surgery? What was the surgery for?"

"Huh," Housed sighed, settling in for a long story, "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes," Katie replied. "I want to know everything."

House sighed again, and began the somewhat epic tale of the past few days, starting with Jeffery being kidnapped, and ending with the knowledge of Katie's cancer spreading. When he was all done, Katie was wide-eyed, and looked very scared.

"Jeffery could have died," she whispered. "_I _could have died." She shivered a bit as she made these realizations.

"But neither of you did, and that's all that matters."

All of a sudden, Katie gave a wide yawn, and her head started to nod.

"Tired?" House asked.

"Of course not," Katie replied. But even as she said that, her eyes began to close. After a few seconds of trying to keep them open, she finally gave in. In seconds, she was asleep.

'

Jeffery woke with a start as sunlight streamed through a window in his hospital room. He couldn't believe it! He went to sleep before Katie got out of her surgery!

"Nurse!" Jeffery called. In a few seconds, a nurse appeared, a look of concern on her face.

"Is everything all right?" She asked the boy.

"My sister," Jeffery said in a rush. "She had surgery last night. How did it go? Is she all right?"

"Katie's all right," The nurse replied. "She's asleep right now, but when she's awake, I'll take you across the hall to her room, all right?"

"All right," Jeffery said, relief spreading through him. Katie was going to be all right! With that worry suppressed, Jeffery grabbed the remote control, and began flipping through the channels, trying to find something good to watch. Finally, he found an episode of Arthur on PBS. It wasn't his favorite show, but it would have to do.

'

After an hour of mindless television, a nurse walked into his room.

"Your sister's awake now, if you would like to see her," She said with a smile.

"I would like that," Jeffery replied.

The nurse helped Jeffery into a wheel chair, and pushed across the hall. In the room, House was watching TV with Katie, but both of them looked up as Jeffery rolled into the room.

"Katie!" Jeffery cried.

"Jeffery!" Katie called back.

House smiled as his two very alive children embraced each other. They weren't a normal family now, but they would be soon.


	31. Chapter 30

"So what do you think?" Real estate agent, Betty George, asked her newest client, Gregory House as they walked through a home for sale.

"First of all," House replied, "it's way too big. Let me say this again: I only have two children. Unlike other people, I don't boycott birth control. Second of all, I don't do stairs--bum leg. Third of all, it's like twenty miles from the hospital. That's like, not going to work... dude."

Betty George sat there stunned. She thought for sure the _doctor _would just love this house. It had five bedrooms, a study, a living room, a dining room, a family room, a game room upstairs, a very large kitchen, a finished basement, and 5,000 square feet. Already, two other couples had a bid in it. And they really wanted it. Betty George had figured that a _doctor _would see this house, fall in love with it, and buy it, despite what they price tag might be.

"So...do you have another house for me to look at?" House asked. He was kind of getting frustrated with this real estate agent. Every house she had taken him to look at was big, and very expensive.

"There's a house I think you'll just love," Betty George said with a smile. "It's just up the road a mile or so. It has a--"

"Look, lady," House interrupted. "I don't know how many times I've told you this: this house has to be close to the hospital. As a doctor, sometimes I have to rush to work because of an emergency. And, on top of that, both of my children are treated at that hospital. All right? Now show me a house that I would actually want to buy. You have until tomorrow. After that... I'll just find a new real estate agent." With that, House limped out of the house.

'

As House drove back to the hospital, he thought of the last few days. It had been nearly a weeks since Katie had her surgery. She was sore, and it hurt her to walk. But she could come home as soon as she had a home to come home to. Jeffery was the same way in that respect.

Now the challenge was to find the right house. House didn't think he was being too picky. It _was _a large investment, and to even make that decision, it had to be the right one.

House really did hope that Betty George got her act together.

'

"Huh!" House gasped as looked around the house.

He had received a call from his real estate agent at about 9:00 in the evening later that day. She had claimed that she had found "the perfect house". At first, House was inclined to say "No, I'm watching _So You Think You Can Dance _with my ill kids, and I'm not leaving them". But as he listened to the directions Betty George gave, he realized that the house was only four miles or so from the hospital.

"I'll be right back," He whispered to the children as he left the room.

That was seven minutes ago.

Now, as he stared at the interior of the house, he knew that it was the perfect one. It had three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, two living areas (one that would do perfect as a library/piano room), a formal dining room, a decent sized kitchen with a breakfast nook, and a finished basement. It was about 2,000 square feet, and decently priced. And besides that, it had brand new stainless steal appliances and granite counter tops in the kitchen, and hardwood flooring throughout the house (with exception of the bathrooms and kitchen, and those had nice tile in them).

"I'll take it," House said. "We can we move in?"

Betty George smiled at the man's eagerness.

"I'll call the current owner, and we'll set a date to close." Betty got out her phone, and after a brief five minute call, look back to House.

"She says we can close tomorrow at noon."

"Great," House smiled. "I'm going to go tell my kids."

'

House realized with a groan how much work it would be to get the new house ready for Jeffery and Katie. He desperately wanted the walls to be painted, but with the state of Katie's lungs, she couldn't handle the fumes. And he had to get furnishings. The twins couldn't very well sleep on the floor, could they?

Finally, House decided that the only furnishings he would put in the new house at first would be the beds. Then, gradually, as the twins got healthier, he could paint and put in more comfortable things.

With that figured out, he was able to mentally relax. Physically, though, it wasn't going to happen! He just closed on the house and after four hours, an exorbitant closing cost/ down payment, and a boring lawyer going over important documents, he was exhausted. But before he could even think about sitting down, he had to go to the furniture store to purchase two beds. Then, he had to go supervise the movers as they transfered all the contents of his apartment to the new house. It was going to be a lot of work, but he would reap the reward soon when Katie and Jeffery were home safe and sound.

If everything went according to plan, Katie and Jeffery could sleep in their new home by the next day.

House couldn't wait--excitement built up in him. He couldn't believe the journey he went through in the last few weeks. Before he even knew what happened, he went from a sarcastic doctor with nothing to live for to compassionate father who never wanted to die.

A month ago, if he saw himself, he would have laughed himself to death.

He was sincerely glad it wasn't a month ago...

With his musings set aside, House continued on his errands, not wanting to think about it anymore lest it turned out to be too good to be true...

'

**Just as House went through an emotional roller coaster throughout this story, so did I. I began this story the summer between eight and ninth grade. Next month, I'll be in tenth. This story has been with me for a long time, and I'm a little sad to see it go. I'll have to end it soon--all good stories (and bad ones, for that matter) have to end. The last chapter will be coming soon (it'll probably be in the next four or five chapters, if that much). I want to thank you for following this story to this point (even if you're a new reader who just happened to find it a little while ago). **

**Until Next Time, **

**Blame It On The Government **


	32. Chapter 31

y


End file.
